Helena-West Helena council pauses new water and sewer rates, sets Nov. 1 review and seeks $11 million in funding

Helena-West Helena — The city council voted unanimously to adopt an emergency moratorium on newly adopted water and sewer rate increases, directing the utility to bill customers at the prior rate and scheduling a review of rates on Nov. 1, 2024.

The moratorium ordinance (No. 14) was read at the special meeting and adopted after council members debated whether the pause should be open-ended or tied to a target date. A council member moved to adopt ordinance 14 on its third and final reading; the motion carried on a 6–0 roll-call vote. The ordinance directs the utility to bill customers at the previous rates during the moratorium and provides that customers who already paid under the new schedule will receive credits on their next bills.

Mayor and council members said the pause is intended to allow staff to investigate reports of unusually high bills — including cases with reported usages in the tens of thousands of gallons — and to check meters, software imports and possible customer-side leaks. “We have to get this well online or we're gonna be in bad shape,” said Mister Rose, the water superintendent, describing low tank levels and the urgency around bringing a new well into service.

Council members raised two sets of competing concerns during debate: the financial necessity of higher rates to qualify for an $11 million loan that would fund distribution-line and well projects, and the immediate hardship on residents who reported steep bill increases. “If we stop this and the water stop working tomorrow, what do we do?” one council member asked, stressing service continuity risks. Another council member urged a targeted, time-limited pause and a focused technical review rather than an indefinite suspension.

Officials described several investigative steps the utility will take during the moratorium: case-by-case meter checks, sending suspect meters to the vendor for calibration (Badger Meter was named as the vendor used for recalibration), temporarily installing known-good meters for comparison, and electronic diagnostics where possible. The water superintendent said field crews have been compiling verified work orders and that the software import process is already used to generate bills; staff will bring back findings before the Nov. 1 review.

The council also moved and approved a separate resolution (No. 13) authorizing the mayor and the water project staff to continue an application to the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission (ANRC) for funding and to execute bond-purchase agreements if the funding is approved. The clerk noted a loan-forgiveness application deadline of Sept. 6 (which, if granted, would convert loan proceeds to a grant), and members said the authorization is the first step in a year-or-two funding process.

Public commenters at the meeting described personal bills that rose sharply and said they had not always received timely follow-up from the utility; council members pledged to prioritize inspections and to adjust bills when overcharges are validated. The ordinance and resolution both passed in recorded roll-call votes with all six members present voting yes.

The council set Nov. 1, 2024, as the deadline to act further on rates: by then the body expects staff to present meter and software assessments and rate options, or to extend the moratorium and craft a new ordinance establishing revised rates. The meeting concluded after the votes and adoption of the ANRC authorization.