Council asks International Falls for explanation after apparent rate discrepancy

Council members pressed for clarification after a city billing arrangement with International Falls appeared to charge local customers a higher water rate than nearby industrial users. S1 said the municipality receives a single bill and that "our average usage...is 2,900 gallons," placing most customers in the 2,000–10,000-gallon bracket. He said the local base charge appeared to be $12.83 per the transcript and observed that papermakers were being charged a lower figure (the transcript cites $6.78 for papermakers), calling the math "not correct for sure." "We just need to clarify it," S1 said and asked Cheryl to arrange a meeting with International Falls to explain the methodology.