Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Utility Rates topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee member backs 5% water/sewer increases to get closer to break-even
Summary
Committee member and staff reviewed tier math and projected revenues, with staff modeling a 5% increase for water and sanitary sewer to reduce deficits; discussion emphasized getting "close to breaking" rather than making large revenue gains.
Committee member and staff discussed proposed water and sewer rate changes and the arithmetic of tiered billing, with the committee member saying prior years were deeply "in the red" and that the new calculations show improvement. The committee member summarized rate goals as pragmatic: "We just need to get close to breaking it as possible," arguing that 5% was a reasonable and simplified step.
Staff walked through the revenue figures the worksheet produced: a 5% example for sanitary sewer produced a projection with $723,000 in revenue and, as spoken in the meeting, would leave the city ahead by "a 106" (as stated in the transcript). Committee members discussed tier-level calculations and agreed to revisit detailed math before the December decision, emphasizing minimal but steady increases rather than sudden large hikes.
