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Blue Ridge council approves higher tap fees and first-year water rate increase
Summary
Council discussed benchmarking and approved raising single-tap fees from $15.50 to a proposed $2,000 minimum (doubling for deep sewer runs) and authorized a first-year water/wastewater rate increase aligned with a Texas Rural Water Association study.
Council members voted at the Nov. 4 workshop to approve revisions to the city's tap-fee schedule and to adopt an initial increase to water and wastewater rates as recommended in a multi-year TRWA study presentation.
"The suggestion from public works is to raise that from $15.50 to a minimum of $2,000 for water, $2,000 for sewer, unless that sewer line is below 7 feet, then that would double to $4,000 for a sewer tap," Staff member said while presenting benchmarking and materials costs.
After discussion about sizes and meter costs, a council member moved to approve the tap and water fees as amended and to wait to finalize any specialty-meter language in December; the council approved the motion. Council members likewise moved and approved a first-year increase to water and wastewater rates that staff said would bring rates closer to the TRWA study recommendation; staff recommended phased increases over multiple years but council opted to adopt the first-year change and revisit annually.
The changes include a stepped tap-fee structure by meter size and an updated master-fee schedule to be finalized at the December meeting. Staff said the city will publish notice to customers before the change takes effect and indicated the increases would be applied to bills starting early next year.
