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Bolivar council debates utility reconnection fee and schedules public forum on fluoride
Summary
Council members raised equity concerns after the utility board approved a reconnection fee increase from $50 to $100 and announced a public forum on plans to stop adding fluoride to the water; the council discussed asking the utility board to revisit the fee.
Bolivar council members pressed utility leaders Wednesday after a utility-board decision to raise reconnection fees from $50 to $100, saying the increase will hit residents who are already struggling to pay their bills. The utility board, which met on Feb. 4, also approved a long-term prepaid gas purchase arrangement and reported a 99 score on the state water sanitary survey.
At the meeting S6, who presented the utility report, said the board increased the reconnection fee to reflect the operational costs of sending workers to disconnect or reconnect meters. "You've got his hourly rate with his salary. You've got a vehicle with his expense," S6 said, explaining why the board set the new charge.
Council members voiced concern that the fee targets the most marginalized residents. Lyle said doubling the fee risks creating a greater barrier for people who manage bill payments by count of days and paychecks. "This is a reconnection fee. That means somebody was already struggling to pay their bill," Lyle said.
Members discussed options including asking the utility board to reconsider the increase, adding exemptions for seniors or low-income households, or phasing the change. S1 said the council can bring the matter to the utility board and place it on a future council agenda for further review.
Separately, S6 told the council the utility will hold a public forum next month on a plan "to discontinue adding fluoride into the water." S1 noted the health department is opposed to removing fluoride: "The health department is against taking the fluoride out," S1 said. The council set no formal policy at the meeting and directed staff to coordinate the public forum and accept a presentation from the health department.
The utility also reported a water sanitary survey score of 99 and discussed a prepaid gas contract intended to lock in supply and pricing over a multi‑year period. No formal council vote was recorded on the reconnection fee change at this meeting; the reconnection fee increase was described as a utility-board action, and council members said they would pursue additional review.
