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Council introduces water-rate ordinance tied to correctional facility hookup; hearing scheduled
Summary
The council introduced an ordinance to amend municipal water rates related to a correctional facility hookup and proposed a fire protection surcharge (3/4" meter listed at $3.85/month); a public hearing was announced for later in the month (date in the transcript was unclear).
The Westville Town Council introduced a water-rate ordinance (recorded in the transcript as ordinance 2025-6) that would set rates and charges for the municipal waterworks related to a planned hookup by a correctional facility.
Key provisions and rationale: The presiding officer said the town is finalizing an agreement with the Department of Corrections for the correctional facility's water service. The ordinance text as presented would keep the town's rates consistent for the facility while adding a fire protection surcharge based on meter size; the transcript lists the fire protection surcharge for a 3/4" meter as $3.85 per month. The presiding officer described the arrangement as producing a high-volume user for the water system, noting the town would receive new infrastructure (a new water tower and associated mains) and that the facility's base charge was stated in the transcript as $154,458 per month (this figure appears in the meeting record and is reported here as stated in the transcript).
Process and next steps: The presiding officer said the council will hold a public hearing on the ordinance later in the month and, following that hearing, may adopt the ordinance at a future regular meeting. The date given in the transcript was unclear (referred to as "the 20 fourth" in the audio transcript); the council's public notices and the clerk's office should be consulted to confirm the official hearing date.
Why it matters: A correctional facility hookup and associated changes to rate structure can have long-term operating and capital impacts for the town's water system, including infrastructure expansion and changes in revenue mix. The fire protection surcharge would generate recurring monthly revenue tied to meter sizes.
Note on transcript clarity: numeric figures for the base charge and some comparative municipal surcharges were spoken rapidly and show transcription artifacts; this article quotes the numbers as they appear in the meeting record and flags the hearing date as unclear in the transcript.
