Ennis approves fee schedule updates: water and wastewater rates rise and a $20 missed‑trash pickup fee adopted

The Ennis City Commission on Sept. 9 approved amendments to the city's fee schedule that raise water and wastewater charges and introduce a fee for missed sanitation pickups.

Director Barnes and department staff proposed increasing water consumption charges by $0.75 per 1,000 gallons across tiers and raising the wastewater minimum charge by $2 with a $1 per consumption increase. Public Works and planning staff also recommended modest increases to development and verification fees, civil design review fees and pretreatment program fees to better align cost recovery with staff workloads.

On sanitation, staff recommended setting a fee for returning to pick up missed trash collection. Public Works said the city currently does not charge when crews return for missed pickups but has increasingly spent staff time documenting these calls. "Currently, we charge 0, and we go out a lot of times ... or we'll increase it to $20," Public Works staff said, explaining the fee is intended to address repeat incidents and staff time.

Commissioners pressed staff about communications: a commissioner asked how residents and contractors will be notified of fee changes and suggested a grace period or warning for first‑time incidents. City staff said the fee schedule will be published on the city website and that communications teams will use social media, the website and contractor notification lists; staff also noted an option to use Everbridge emergency texting carefully to avoid message fatigue. Commissioners agreed to approve G4 and to direct staff to provide advance notice and a courtesy warning for customers when appropriate.

The motion to adopt the fee schedule changes passed by voice vote.