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Residents decry new sewer flat fee baseline; council schedules workshop
Summary
Multiple residents told the council the new sewer flat fee (a 4,100‑gallon baseline and an example $81 charge) unfairly burdens low‑use households; council acknowledged concerns and staff scheduled a workshop to review the policy and community outreach.
Several residents used the citizens forum to publicly criticize Newport's recently implemented sewer flat fee, which includes a minimum baseline of 4,100 gallons for billing and was cited by speakers as an $81 monthly charge for low‑use apartments.
Darla Finchem, who said she is living on a fixed income and has terminal cancer, described receiving the new charge without clear notice: "I had to literally go down to City Hall to pay it... and now I got an $81 bill added and I'm 1 person in 1 apartment... paying what a mansion pays for the sewer tax." Another resident who identified himself as an engineer said his documented household use averages 1,400–2,400 gallons a month and that the new 4,100‑gallon baseline "makes no sense" given the city's own usage statistics.
Councilors and staff acknowledged the strength of public concern. The attempt by a councilor to add a late resolution on sewer rates tonight ran into the council's own rules for agenda submission; staff and the solicitor explained the council adopted an 8‑day submittal practice though state law requires 48‑hour notice. The council agreed to schedule a workshop and further review at a future meeting (staff later noted a workshop targeted for the coming weeks). No immediate change to the fee was enacted tonight.
Next steps: staff to brief council at scheduled workshop and to provide clearer public notice and supporting data on how the 4,100‑gallon baseline was derived.
