Moroni council adopts temporary sewer-fee proration for households without pressurized irrigation

Moroni City Council voted unanimously on March 20 to adopt a temporary resolution that modifies sewer billing for resident households not connected to the city's pressurized irrigation system.

The resolution applies to April 1 through Oct. 31 and allows the city to prorate sewer charges for households that use culinary (potable) water for outdoor irrigation. The council said the change is temporary while staff completes a sewer-rate study and evaluates upgrades to the irrigation system.

Council members began the discussion by noting the council previously enacted a moratorium on new irrigation hookups, which has led some homeowners with new yards to use culinary water for irrigation. Council member Bridal Atkinson said homeowners who switch to culinary to water lawns will still face higher potable-water bills: "They would still have to pay their water bill, which is going to be a lot," Atkinson said. City staff and council members discussed using a winter average to set a baseline sewer charge and prorating sewer bills for the irrigation months.

City staff described the operational steps for administering the temporary proration. City staff member Carol said she had discussed the proposal with staff and emphasized it is temporary: "I spoke with Justin Wayman, we discussed that this ... this is just temporary," she said. The council discussed an administrative sign-up: residents would come to city offices to report that they are irrigating with culinary water, and city staff (Brandon was mentioned as the staff point) would verify that a customer does not have an irrigation connection before applying the proration.

Council members outlined how the proration would be calculated. One option discussed was using a five-month winter average (November through March) as the baseline for sewer charges and applying the prorated rate for April through October. Council members also discussed the possibility that, if the city later installs an improved irrigation system, the council could adopt a separate resolution requiring households on the temporary proration to hook to the pressurized irrigation and, if applicable, purchase a water share.

At the meeting the council read the resolution aloud: "A resolution temporarily modifying sewer fees for resident households not connected to the pressurized irrigation system for the months of April 1 through October 31." The motion to approve the resolution was made by Council member Prestwich and seconded by Council member Sherry Green. In a roll call voice vote, Green, Atkinson, Prestwich and Wolfenstein voted yes; the motion passed.

Council members and staff emphasized the measure is an interim administrative fix while broader capital and rate work continues. City staff noted an ongoing sewer-rate study and said some pricing and policy elements could change after that study and after any irrigation-system upgrades.

The council did not attach an effective-date exception or a specific enforcement mechanism beyond staff verification and a future resolution to remove temporary proration if the irrigation system is restored; council members said those implementation details will be brought back to the council as staff completes the study and system planning.