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City staff proposes modest increases to utility reconnect and after-hours fees
Summary
Utility staff proposed raising the standard connect/reconnect fee from $15 to $40 and after-hours from $50 to $80 to recover administrative costs and to align the city with area utilities as the system prepares for AMI remote metering.
Mr. Cross, addressing the council, said the city currently charges $15 for connect, disconnect and reconnect events and $50 for after-hours service. He proposed raising the connect/reconnect fee to $40 and after-hours service to $80 to better align with neighboring utilities and to offset administrative costs while the utility transitions toward automated meter-reading and remote connection capabilities.
"At this time, we're having to send folks out to do this manual by hand," Mr. Cross said, noting that the $40 fee would cover administrative calls and on-site work and still place the city on the lower end compared with surrounding utilities. He said after-hours work typically runs through 9 p.m. and that the proposed changes are meant to keep pace with cost-of-service pressures rather than to be punitive.
Council members asked whether the fee would apply when a new resident moves into a house with prior electric service; staff clarified that such a restart is considered a reconnect and would be subject to the proposed fee.
No formal vote was taken; Mr. Cross said the proposal would be brought forward as an agenda item for formal consideration.
