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Allegan council declines immediate sewer-rate cut for fairgrounds, directs staff to negotiate payment plan
Summary
The Allegan County Fairgrounds asked the city to reduce or remove the $6,621.77 sewer portion of an $11,630 utility bill; council declined an immediate rate reduction and directed staff to work with the fairgrounds on metering options or a payment plan and return with recommendations.
The Allegan County Fairgrounds asked the City of Allegan on May 12 to reduce or remove the sewer portion of a large utility bill after staff identified what the fairgrounds calls an overbilling tied to irrigation and prior leaks. Sarah Miller, the fairgrounds’ executive director, told the council the total bill was $11,630 and the sewer portion was $6,621.77 and asked the council to consider lowering or waiving the sewer charge.
City Manager Dai and staff reviewed technical options with the council, including installing a separate irrigation line, adding individual meters for building restrooms, or placing a sewer meter on a specific discharge point. Dai told council staff and the fairgrounds would continue evaluating options and said, “what staff will do is we'll continue our conversation with the fair and we'll bring back, you know, a recommendation to city council” rather than implementing an immediate reduction.
Council members questioned feasibility and cost. Staff cautioned that splitting flows requires plumbing changes and separate backflow/RPZ protection in some locations and that retrofitting multiple points could be expensive and complex because the fairgrounds has many dispersed water-use locations and a dump station for campers. Staff also noted city policy requires council approval for payment plans exceeding $5,000 or longer than 12 months, so any long-term arrangement would return to the council for approval.
Miller explained the fairgrounds’ seasonal and irrigation usage, the effect of past leaks on year-to-year comparisons, and that the large, one-time bill was “a little overwhelming.” Council discussed options including metering restrooms or a single sewer meter and asked staff to examine the least-cost metering approach. One council member suggested addressing the fairgrounds’ tank fill station as an interim mitigation option.
Outcome: Council did not adopt a sewer-rate reduction. Instead the council directed staff to continue working with the Allegan County Fairgrounds on payment arrangements and technical metering options and to return with a recommendation to council. Staff indicated the matter will be brought back because the requested payment plan would exceed the city’s administrative thresholds and require formal council approval.
