Utility Director Justin Shepard proposes two maintenance hires as PSA advances FY27 budget and an 8.9% water-rate increase

Justin Shepard, introduced to the Public Service Authority board as a presenter, outlined proposals to add two full-time positions in the FY27 budget to boost preventative maintenance across water and wastewater facilities and to support targeted water-loss investigations.

Shepard said the first proposed role is a utility maintenance technician to handle upkeep of about 36 facilities, including pump stations and treatment facilities, and the second is a water maintenance technician to support two full-time and one part-time water staff member. "So, I'm proposing two additional positions in FY27 budget," Shepard said, explaining the aim is to move from reactive fixes to proactive maintenance.

Shepard told the board the system has experienced unusually high water loss: "If we look across the board for water itself ... it's ranking anywhere from 21% water loss up to 30%" over recent years, with a wastewater spike to 47% in 2021 tied to a failing meter. He said fixes and meter replacements have already reduced losses and that the FY27 budget reflects those improvements.

The staff presented the FY27 water budget as roughly $4.6 million in total expenditures and the wastewater budget at about $2.5 million. Shepard said purchase-of-water costs and personnel additions contributed to the proposed rate adjustment. "The proposed water rate is an 8.9% increase," staff said, explaining the current per‑thousand‑gallon charge would move from 1.642 to 1.789 per thousand gallons under the proposal. Staff estimated a typical single‑family household might see about a $6 monthly increase.

The presentation also highlighted a multi‑point plan to recapture lost revenue through targeted meter testing and replacement; Shepard said the budget includes funding for large‑meter flow testing and that the meter swap program has already replaced hundreds of smaller meters this fiscal year.

Board members questioned the calculation of water‑loss percentages, meter accuracy, and how savings from reduced loss would factor into future rate stability. Shepard and staff said improved leak detection and meter accuracy should lower loss and, in time, stabilize rates and free funds for capital investment.

The board approved a motion to advertise a public hearing on the proposed rates and fee changes, scheduled for Monday, June 1 at 6:30 p.m. in the big boardroom; adoption of final rates will be considered after that hearing.

The presenter also reviewed several fee adjustments under consideration, including increasing garden‑meter charges to better reflect assembly costs and aligning bulk hydrant water sales with customer rates, noting some fees had not been updated since about 2014.

Next steps: the authority will publish the public‑hearing notice and receive public comment on June 1 before taking final action on the FY27 budgets and rate schedule.