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Towanda creates water debt fund and adopts new water, sewer and mobile-home park rates
Summary
The Towanda City Council on July 9 adopted Ordinance No. 725 creating a Water System Debt Service Fund and passed three rate resolutions (water, sewer, mobile-home park) to finance planned water improvements; all measures passed 5-0.
The Towanda City Council voted on July 9 to create a dedicated Water System Debt Service Fund and approve new water, sewer and mobile-home park rates tied to financing for water-system improvements.
Council President Mike Hayes moved to adopt Ordinance No. 725, creating the Water System Debt Service Fund to segregate any sales-tax revenue earmarked for water improvements; Council Member Chris Hunt seconded the motion and it passed 5-0. City staff said the fund is intended to ensure revenue collected for water projects is held separately for debt service related to the water system.
The council then approved a series of rate changes. TC Pyle moved to adopt Resolution No. 2025-08, the new water-rate resolution based on a study by the Rural Water Association; Kit Williams seconded and the resolution passed 5-0. Council Member Chris Hunt moved to adopt Resolution No. 2025-09 setting new sewer rates (second: Kit Williams); that vote was 5-0. Pyle also moved to adopt Resolution No. 2025-10 establishing rates for the mobile-home park (second: Kit Williams); the motion carried 5-0.
City Administrator Andy Newbrey told the council the rate adjustments were developed from the Rural Water Association study and include an allocation intended to flow into the newly created debt service fund to support future project debt payments. Staff did not provide the final rate schedules in the minutes; the resolutions were adopted at the meeting and the minutes record only the resolution numbers and the 5-0 votes.
The council-recorded actions were procedural adoptions: the ordinance and resolutions passed by roll call or voice without recorded dissent. The minutes do not specify effective dates for the new rates or the precise dollar-by-dollar changes; those details will be in the adopted ordinances/resolutions or later staff materials.
The council set these financial steps as part of broader planning for water-system improvements, including grant and loan pursuits discussed elsewhere on the agenda.
