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Public works details water, sewer, landfill and recycling budgets; staff recommends 3% rate increases
Summary
Public works director Cody Field reviewed the water and sewer budgets, described capital needs (pumps, a leaking 24-inch line, new blowers), and proposed a 3% across-the-board increase for water, sewer and recycling; the landfill budget includes a $100,000 MSW building expense and a proposal to raise tire and material fees.
Public works director Cody Field reviewed the city's enterprise funds during the Rawlins City Council work session, outlining staffing, equipment needs and multiple rate and fee options intended to keep funds solvent and to support capital projects.
On the water fund, Field said the department consists of separate line items for treatment, distribution and utilities and reported 3,092 residential taps inside city limits. He presented options for rate adjustments and recommended a 3% across-the-board water-rate increase to keep pace with inflation. Field provided example figures: a typical in-city family of four (estimated 5,000 gallons per month) currently averages about $76.21 monthly; an out-of-city fixed rate example was shown at $70.74 with an average out-of-town bill of about $92.77. Field said staff is also proposing $1,500,000 in infrastructure projects and two replacement fleet vehicles for water operations.
Council members asked about qualifying for USDA loans; staff said the USDA formula depends in part on household income and that prior increases had not necessarily reached the USDA threshold. Field also noted ARPA grants in the water fund will expire in September 2026.
On sewer, staff proposed a 3% increase and identified capital needs: two new sewer fleet vehicles, about $200,000 in equipment, and $300,000 in facilities tied to preventing flooding and repairing a leaking 24-inch sewer line. Field said the sewer system has aging aeration blowers and failing VFDs; staff plans to install replacement blowers in phases.
Council and staff also discussed vehicle procurement: Field estimated roughly $60,000 per replacement truck, suggested considering bulk fleet deals, and proposed standardizing to white trucks to save on specialty-paint costs.
The landfill presentation noted a proposed $100,000 line item for doors on the MSW building and options for either restoring compaction operations or building a new facility. Council members estimated compactor systems and associated facility improvements could cost in the low millions; staff recommended saving for a future match to pursue state grants.
Staff recommended raising tire disposal fees to match the city's cost (the city is being charged $160/ton, while the current fee is $130/ton) and increasing other accepted-material fees by about $10/ton. Recycling staff reported a modest profit (about $102,000) and discussed market volatility for plastics and glass; they proposed a 3% recycling-fee increase (about $0.18 per utility customer) and noted a grinder that could reduce hauling costs would cost on the order of $750,000–$1,000,000.
No formal votes were recorded in the transcript; staff will post the temporary budget and the council will consider motions and votes at available readings.
