Monroe committee approves updated 2025 fee schedule adding wastewater discharge fines

The City of Monroe Finance and Taxation Committee voted to approve a revised 2025 fee schedule that incorporates tiered fees for wastewater discharge-permit violations, with an effective date referenced in the materials.

Administrator Wendy presented the change as a way to implement the new wastewater-discharge policy and ordinance while keeping the numeric thresholds in a resolution. "The ordinance will basically reference the fee schedule that's set by resolution," Wendy said, adding that using a resolution would allow the city to adjust thresholds more easily than by amending the ordinance.

Committee members asked whether the specific penalty amounts would appear in the ordinance or only in the resolution; Wendy confirmed the ordinance would reference the fee schedule and that the highlighted adjustments appear near the end of the draft fee schedule. One member moved to approve the recommendation; the motion was seconded and the clerk conducted a roll-call vote. The recorded votes were reported as 'Aye' by the alder members present, and the motion passed.

Why it matters: moving numeric thresholds into a resolution gives the city flexibility to tweak penalty levels without the longer ordinance-amendment process, allowing the city to respond to operational experience and compliance outcomes.

Next steps: the committee approved forwarding the fee-schedule revision consistent with the ordinance change scheduled for public hearing the following week; the fee schedule will be incorporated by resolution and return to the council for final action where required.