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Hillsboro council adopts sanitary and stormwater fee changes after public hearing
Summary
After a staff presentation and public comment, the council adopted two resolutions to adjust Hillsboro—s sanitary sewer and stormwater rates; staff said the increases address deferred maintenance and failing infrastructure and will be revisited in two years.
The Hillsboro City Council adopted two resolutions after a public hearing that adjusted the city—s sanitary-sewer and stormwater fee schedules.
Staff presented a two-year cost-of-service study and said the changes separate the city—s charges from Clean Water Services for transparency. Lisonbee Bergsing (public works presentation) summarized the proposal numerically: the sanitary sewer proposal yields "a total of $8.95 on the base rate and 41 per CCF," and for stormwater she said the city proposed to "increase that by $2.35, to come up with a total base rate of $14.08." Staff said the average single-family household (about 8 CCF average use) would see a modest usage-related change but that the increases are intended to shore up aging infrastructure and avoid system failures.
A public commenter, Sherlyn Conception, urged the council to postpone and argued public notice was insufficient and that the increases would place an undue burden on residents, saying: "These increases are way more than the cost of living increases." City staff responded that the city followed its usual public-notice practice, that the proposals separate city charges from Clean Water Services so there is not a "double-dipping," and that the increases aim to fund inflationary pressures and long-deferred maintenance.
Councilor Pace moved to adopt the resolutions; the motions were seconded and adopted by roll call. The council discussed balancing rate affordability with the need to replace decades-old storm and sewer pipes and the possibility of future regulatory obligations.
Staff said they expect to return in two years to discuss further adjustments and that implementation will include outreach and communications to explain bill changes and funding uses.
