Resident Joseph Cooper presses council on utility rate notice; council says annual increases average about 5.9%

Joseph Cooper, a Mishawaka resident who identified himself at the podium, used the privilege‑of‑the‑floor period to criticize recent utility‑rate increases and the notice provided to residents. Cooper said he had seen a February notice and later discovered online billing functionality problems, asserting: "you cannot go online and see what your July bill was until it showed up in the mail." He called the process "cowardly" if officials delayed public discussion and said a multi‑year increase plan equated to a 25% hit in his view.

The council president and council members pushed back on Cooper’s framing while acknowledging the value of more outreach. The president said the record shows required notice and that the council held an additional informational meeting between readings; he corrected Cooper’s numeric claim, stating the plan’s annual change was "approximately 5.9%" rather than a single 25% increase. The president also described a rate assistance program that can provide "as much as a 5% discount" to eligible ratepayers. Council members noted neighborhood and district meetings where the utilities director presented the proposed increases.

The exchange highlighted public concern about communication and the council’s efforts to document notice and an assistive discount program for customers who qualify.