Residents assail new sewer flat fee as unfair as council prepares workshop

Several residents used the council's citizens forum to press elected officials for a change to a newly adopted sewer flat fee, saying the policy is inequitable and was rolled out with little notice.

"There's been a lot of chitchat about this imposed fee," one speaker said, asking why the council did not notify residents in advance of a significant $81 increase. Another, who identified himself as an engineer, told the council he reviewed the city presentation and the data the city used and said: "I found a couple of things that caught my interest ... 40% of the people in the residential base are using less than a thousand gallons of water," questioning the 4,100‑gallon baseline.

Speakers said the new minimum causes fixed charges to rise for single‑occupant and low‑use households and for second‑home owners who leave properties unoccupied for months but still face the $81‑plus monthly charge. Several urged the council to reconsider the flat‑fee approach and to reschedule an upcoming workshop to an evening hour to allow broader resident participation.

City staff and councilors acknowledged the complaints during the meeting and confirmed there will be more discussion: staff have scheduled a workshop on the topic and residents requested clearer outreach and a more accessible meeting time. The council did not adopt any immediate change to the rate at the meeting; staff were asked to provide further data and options for council review at the forthcoming workshop.

Next steps: the council and staff will convene the scheduled workshop to evaluate the fee structure and billing baseline and to consider notice and mitigation options for low‑use customers.