Residents ask council to alter proposed utility billing increases By Bryan Schutt, Carroll County Times Staff Writer Tuesday, March 24, 2009
A dozen Westminster residents spent more than an hour barraging the city’s mayor, Common Council and staff with reasons why they weren’t happy with the proposed utility rate structure changes Monday night.
Citing bills that’ll nearly double, unfair discrimination in charges among users and terrible economic times, the residents asked for phased-in increases, unified charges and an increased threshold for gallon usage at the public hearing for the proposed water and sewer rate increases.
About 30 others listened to the testimony, occasionally clapping or nodding.
Nearly all of the speakers agreed that a rate increase was reasonable enough but said changes needed to be made to the proposed ordinance.
Mayor Thomas Ferguson said changes would bill users the cost of providing water and sewer service, provide reserve funds for operating and capital expenses, encourage conservation and leave behind a simplified model that future city officials can use to analyze utility expenses.
A brief presentation from a consulting firm that analyzed the city’s current structure emphasized the city’s need to afford about $37 million in projected water and sewer fund expenses as part of the reason for an increase.
The projected expenses include paying back loans on water projects like the $4.5 million Medford Quarry Pipeline project, the $11 million water treatment plant upgrade and the proposed $14 million waste water treatment plant upgrade.
Should the Common Council pass the ordinance in its proposed form, new rates would be phased in on July 1 and again on July 1, 2010.
Read Mr. Schutt’s entire article here: Residents ask council to alter proposed utility billing increases By Bryan Schutt, Carroll County Times Staff Writer Tuesday, March 24, 2009
http://www.carrollcountytimes.com/articles/2009/03/24/news/local_news/newsstory9.txt
20090324 Residents ask council to alter proposed utility billing increases
A dozen Westminster residents spent more than an hour barraging the city’s mayor, Common Council and staff with reasons why they weren’t happy with the proposed utility rate structure changes Monday night.
Citing bills that’ll nearly double, unfair discrimination in charges among users and terrible economic times, the residents asked for phased-in increases, unified charges and an increased threshold for gallon usage at the public hearing for the proposed water and sewer rate increases.
About 30 others listened to the testimony, occasionally clapping or nodding.
Nearly all of the speakers agreed that a rate increase was reasonable enough but said changes needed to be made to the proposed ordinance.
Mayor Thomas Ferguson said changes would bill users the cost of providing water and sewer service, provide reserve funds for operating and capital expenses, encourage conservation and leave behind a simplified model that future city officials can use to analyze utility expenses.
A brief presentation from a consulting firm that analyzed the city’s current structure emphasized the city’s need to afford about $37 million in projected water and sewer fund expenses as part of the reason for an increase.
The projected expenses include paying back loans on water projects like the $4.5 million Medford Quarry Pipeline project, the $11 million water treatment plant upgrade and the proposed $14 million waste water treatment plant upgrade.
Should the Common Council pass the ordinance in its proposed form, new rates would be phased in on July 1 and again on July 1, 2010.
Read Mr. Schutt’s entire article here: Residents ask council to alter proposed utility billing increases By Bryan Schutt, Carroll County Times Staff Writer Tuesday, March 24, 2009
http://www.carrollcountytimes.com/articles/2009/03/24/news/local_news/newsstory9.txt
20090324 Residents ask council to alter proposed utility billing increases
Kevin Dayhoff www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/
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