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Interlaken council approves water-rate ordinance amendment after debate over 42% increase
Summary
After public comment urging a phased approach, the Interlaken Town Council approved Ordinance No. 15, a water-rate amendment linked to the FY2025 budget. Council members cited urgent repair costs and cash-flow needs; staff noted one phone line was unavailable during the recorded vote.
The Interlaken Town Council voted to approve Ordinance No. 15, an amendment to the town’s water rates tied to the fiscal-year 2025 budget, following public comment and council discussion during the Nov. 6 regular meeting.
Public commenter David Gardella told the council he used about 23,000 gallons in the last year and asked the town to phase any large increase rather than impose a single 42% jump. “It’s just such a large amount to increase, especially when you look at somebody like myself that uses 22,000 gallons for 12 months,” Gardella said, urging alternatives or a staged approach.
Council members and staff said the increase is driven by recent unplanned expenses and the need to stabilize the water system. In the fiscal update presented earlier in the meeting, staff reported an unplanned water-related repair totaling about $93,000 (the original capital plan had been roughly $20,000) and noted a $310,000 transfer from the transportation reserve to pay for road work; staff said the $310,000 transfer was done to maintain cash flow and that reserves should be replenished as revenues are collected.
One council member said the town needs the study completed and, “if things happen and it’s going really well and we don’t need that, there’s evidence they’ve given it back in the past,” urging council to act while preserving flexibility. After discussion, an unidentified council member moved to approve the ordinance and a second was recorded. Council members voted aloud; the motion was announced on the record as unanimous. Staff noted afterward that one telephone line was not available and may have been recorded as an abstention.
Ordinance No. 15 was entered on the record as approved. Council and staff emphasized that the rate change is tied to budget needs and system repairs and that the town expects to revisit details as the water study progresses.
The council’s next procedural step is implementation of the ordinance as part of the FY2025 budget; staff will continue the water study and report findings to council.
