Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Utilities topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council to review water-rate escalation after residents raise concerns
Summary
Councilors heard citizen concerns that a 2018 ordinance permitting a 3% annual water-rate increase plus $1 has continued beyond five years; city manager agreed to brief council next week on the fiscal impact and options.
Residents' concerns about rising water bills prompted council discussion about the ordinance that established a 3% annual increase plus $1 in 2018. Mr. Walker said constituents view the escalation as open-ended and asked whether there would be an end in sight.
Ms. Hoover said council had previously discussed eliminating the $1 increment and asked staff to revisit the policy. City Manager Jim Mavromatis offered to provide a briefing at the next meeting on the impact of stopping the automatic increases and on options used in other municipalities to mitigate impacts on seniors and fixed-income residents. "If we don't do anything, it's going to go up 3% every year," Mr. Walker said in the discussion.
