What you need to know
For in-city residential and commercial customers, water rates will increase from a monthly minimum charge of $37.95 to $41.05.
Wastewater rates for in-city residents will increase from the monthly minimum charge of $57.86 per living unit equivalent to $62.58 per LUE.
Officials said the new utility rates will go into effect March 26.
Remember this?
The utility rate adjustments come from the city’s 2018 Water and Wastewater Rate Study, which recommended rate increases every year for a five-year period. The first set of recommended utility rates from the study went into effect April 2019.
Until last year, utility rates were not raised or adjusted, which caused the city to lose revenue, officials said.
Council approved the first rate increases since 2019 in late August, which went into effect in October and are the current rates.
Officials said the reasons for the annual rate adjustments previously not being adopted and implemented are unknown as it was a different council at the time.
What happens next?
Council is required to approve an ordinance prior to implementing the new utility rates in March.
The ordinance will be considered for council approval at the Jan. 24 meeting.
