Though there were rumblings about citizens’ protests greeting the Wayland City Council upping water rates, an ordinance approving the increases was adopted without any public comment Monday evening.
The only discussion about the proposal was among council members themselves, and the vote was 5-1, with Mayor Tim Bala casting the only dissent.
Bala told his colleagues, “I don’t feel with an automatic annual increase” in rates and suggested instead the city implement the increases over the first three years and then “come back to the council for review.”
Councilwoman Jennifer Antel, however, said the city had not raised rates for water in nearly a decade and a gradual correction was necessary to meet expenses.
“I don’t want to go back to what we did before,” she commented. “That’s how we got here.”
Indeed, the city had not imposed a water rate increase since 2010, which City Manager Josh Eggleston said has resulted in a significant drop in revenue. He added that if the city had a crisis in its water supply, it would have less than $500,000 in reserve funds, which would be woefully inadequate to pay for repairs or replacement.
The city’s base rate for all these years was $7.75 per month for light users. The average rate is $10.50 per household per month.
Under the four-year plan proposed for 2,000-gallon customers, rates would go up to $11.71 this year, $15.50 in 2020, $20 in 2021 and $21 in the fourth year.
For average customers using 4,500 gallons at $16.76, the monthly rates would be $21.75 this year, $25.38 in 2020, $27.50 in 2021 and $28.50 in the fourth year.
Higher rates would be applied to heavier users, such as industries and businesses.
There also was discussion about applying a $3 per month administrative fee for reading meters to recover costs. Eggleston said reading meters is needed in case a household has a leak. The fee covers outdoor use of water for such activities as sprinkling lawns, washing vehicles and watering plants and flowers.
It was agreed to leave the ordinance language as is.
In other business at Monday evening’s meeting, the council:
- Adopted an ordinance establishing civil infraction enforcement, allowing the city to contract with the legal firm of Orton, Tooman, Hale, McKown and Kiel to handle such issues.
Eggleston said this kind of ordinance would better handle such issues as dogs barking and junk car violations.
“We need to move forward with this so we can actually enforce our ordinances,” the city manager commented.
- Approved a water reliability study to be conducted by City Engineer Mickey Bittner of Wightman & Associates, who said the last time a study was done was in 2008. It handles storage capacity, water flow, hydrant testing. The study actually is required every five years.
- Noted that paving now is complete for Geneva Drive and Marlo Lane, despite a strike by workers for the construction firm Reith-Reilly.
- Announced the next council meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 3, instead of Monday, Sept. 2, because of the Labor Day holiday.
Evidently there are no level heads on the Council. What are our water rates compared to other cities in the county – no statistics given. What are our water and sewage hook- up rates compared to other cities in the county? Crickets chirping.
Is the mayor the only sane one in City Hall?
Sure looks that way. Without facts and figures, how can they vote in the affirmative?
Wayland citizens, you are getting screwed and you won’t know it until the new water rates kick in, then hear the complaints. The city needs new leadership.