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Finance director outlines enterprise-fund budget, proposed fee increases and canal-armoring grant application
Summary
Finance Director Bridget Bass presented the proposed FY2025 enterprise fund budget incorporating recommended utility rates, outlined proposed percentage increases for water/sewer, solid waste and stormwater, and staff described a pending Transform 386 canal-armoring grant application.
Bridget Bass, Edgewater’s finance director, reviewed the proposed enterprise-fund budget and said the recommended rate adjustments from the consultant are incorporated to balance the funds and support capital work.
Bass said the recommended budget assumes a 5% increase for water and sewer rates, an 8% increase for solid-waste charges (including raising recycling from $5.73 to $8 per month), and an 8% stormwater fee adjustment (from $13.50 to $14.58 residential). She estimated those changes would raise roughly $1.3 million in charges-for-service revenue for the water/sewer fund under the 5% scenario.
On capital spending, Bass listed water-and-sewer projects including lift-station refurbishments ($600,000), the smart-meter network ($492,000), a US‑1 water-main segment ($150,000) and other renewal-and-replacement items. For solid waste she identified planned vehicle purchases (two grapple trucks totaling about $547,000) and said enterprise funds will carry debt service for the new public-works complex.
Bass also noted a $14 million grant award for a G2/G11 canal project that will carry forward into the budget and said staff is seeking grant assistance for canal-bank armoring. Public-works staff explained to council that overusing heavy walking excavators can destabilize canal banks and described the purpose of the canal-armoring project as stabilizing toes of slopes and reducing washouts.
Council members asked for details on maintenance frequency, the consequences of not raising rates and clarifications on which capital items are replacements versus new assets. Staff confirmed many vehicle purchases are replacements and said the city applied for the Transform 386 canal-armoring grant to address erosion and bank collapse in specific canal reaches.
Bass gave the council a schedule for the budget process: the city will present the rate resolution at the August council meeting and hold two public hearings on the tentative budget on Sept. 9 and Sept. 23 at 6 p.m. for final adoption steps.
No formal votes were taken at the workshop; staff will return with an ordinance/rate resolution for council consideration at upcoming meetings.
