Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Rate Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council debates handling of prior $3.18 firm-water charge and how to present rate changes
Summary
Councilors criticized past practice of keeping a $3.18 'firm water' charge without clear public notice and discussed options—refund the small amount, fold it into base rates, or explicitly vote to amend fee schedules—saying they need a transparent council action to avoid public confusion.
A major point of the budget workshop was a contentious conversation about a previously enacted $3.18 per account 'firm-water' charge that councilors said was collected but not clearly applied to the originally stated purpose. One councilmember said bluntly: "We charged $3.18. We didn't end up doing it. We should have stopped charging it." That remark captured frustration that the charge was left in place while the promised project did not proceed.
Council members discussed practical fixes. Options included returning small amounts to customers, folding the revenue into an adjusted base rate and formally voting to change the master fee schedule so the public understands how funds are used. Staff recommended that any change be accompanied by a formal council vote and clear communication: "We need to vote on how we're addressing it because the council voted to add it in there, so... we need to vote on it," a speaker said. No immediate refund or formal change was adopted; staff were directed to draft clear fee-schedule language and a communications plan for public transparency.
