Council puts sewer rate hike on hold for one week - December 17, 1998
By Ryan Teague Beckwith - Daily World Writer, The Aberdeen Daily World , 12/17/98
A proposed Aberdeen sewer rate hike is on hold for a week while the Aberdeen City Council gathers more information.
At issue are two new positions in the sewer department that city staffers say are crucial to meeting the requirements of a consent decree from a now-resolved lawsuit over the Stafford Creek Corrections Center.
At the Wednesday night council meeting some members said they hadn't seen enough proof that the positions - which together add about $120,000 to the department budget - are necessary.
"I trust we had a capable staff to at least get this far," said Councilman David Batchelor. He argued that since the city has not failed to meet the conditions of the consent decree, it is not likely to have any problems in the future.
But Mayor Chuck Gurrad sharply disagreed. During the meeting, one of the council members asked how critical the two extra people are to meeting the decree. "In a word, damn critical," he said. "If we're not in compliance, we're in big trouble."
Public Works Director Larry Bledsoe said he believes the city will not meet the conditions in December. "If we do, it will be barely," he said.
Defenders of the rate hike pointed out that it is significantly lower than originally proposed. During preliminary budget talks in October, Wastewater Systems Manager Mike Myers asked the council for a 21 1/2 percent increase that would pay for four new employees.
Finance Director Fred Thurman told the council that it has three decisions to make regarding the sewer department.
First, the council needs to pass the proposed $11.1 million budget before the end of the year.
Then, in order to allow for the two additional positions in the sewer department, the council would also have to approve the rate increase and, later on, the hirings as well.
The council opted to postpone the final reading of the budget until next week, when it will reconsider the sewer rate increase as well. The two positions could only be filled with the approval of the Personnel Committee and the council sometime next year.
If approved, the rate hike would take effect in March. Sewer customers currently pay a base rate of $23 a month. Under the new plan, that would increase to $25.
Apartments, industrial and commercial users would see their rate after the first 1,000 cubic feet of use increase from $2.73 per 100 cubic feet to $2.98.
During a previous meeting with the council, the sewer department's Myers said the two positions would be a lab technician and an equipment maintenance position.
"They'll operate it more efficiently," Mayor Gurrad argued. "They know what we need to do."
Supporters of the rate hike failed on a procedural move to pass it for the last time this week.
Instead, the council voted 7-4 to pass a second reading of the bill and revisit it once more next week.
Council members Batchelor, Alice Phelps, Pete Schave, and Jo-Ann Andrews voted against the second reading.
Council members Bob Shortt, Rhonda Steinman, Tom Laufmann, Tobi Buckman, Mike Wilson, Bill Simpson and Jerry Mills voted for it. Councilman Jack Micheau was absent.
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