 After a lengthy analysis that also compared Lincoln's rates to other
like-sized communities, it was determined that there would be
increases to all users: residential, industrial, commercial and
institutional.
It was recalled that several years ago the prisons were given a
separate rate because they use a larger percentage of the capacity.
It was something like 40 percent of the wastewater flows, sewer and
facility manager Dave Kitzmiller said.
It was also discussed that commercial user rates and new tap fees
have fallen behind current amounts needed to operate the system and
set funds aside for future expansion.
Alderman Buzz Busby, who has brought the concerns of dwindling
capacity at the wastewater treatment plant to the council's
attention in the recent past, said, "You need to increase the tap
fees to keep up with new usage." The new business needs to pay its
portion of capacity it uses up, he pointed out.
A number of commercial tap fees have been waived recently when
they came in under the enterprise zone. The council discussed
modifying the enterprise zone to eliminate that offer with the next
amendment to the enterprise zone or in the city ordinance. No one
could recall if that happened.
[to top of second column] |
The committee decided they would need to meet again after
researching the current status of the prison rate, the enterprise
zone tap fees and other items.
How much the rates will increase is yet to be determined. The
committee did plan to recommend to the council to increase resident
rates to an even amount of $20 and planned for future increases as
well. Then they would make a recommendation to the council for what
the new fees would need to be in three different categories.
When they meet again, Kitzmiller said that he would have figures
that would reflect the $20 residential increase, a proportional
increase for other categories and an industrial recovery
calculation.
The next committee meeting is set for Tuesday at 6 p.m.
[By JAN YOUNGQUIST] |
