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City utility rates may rise in FF
Published 10:52am Thursday, January 31, 2013Fergus Falls residents likely will be paying about $3 more per month for city utilities in the coming months.
City finance director Bill Sonmor said he recommended the City Council increase rates for water, sewer and garbage fees due to the increase in operational costs. The council will consider the increase Monday.
The rates are going up because operating costs go up each year.
For the average homeowner, the change to their utility bill wull go up by $3.13 a month. Right now the average bill is $90.64 and with the proposed increase, that bill will go up to $93.77.
Water fees would increase to $8.35 from $7.95 per month for all customers. The city also would increase by 5 percent the per-1,000-gallon rate for customers that use more than 25,000 gallons per three months.
Garbage rates will be increased 8 1/2 percent, and refuse disposal fees will increase 10 1/2 percent.
They would include utilities for residential bills including water charges and storm drain fees. Garbage charges and refuse disposal fees will see a hike which will be tallied with waste management taxes.
The flat rate for the storm drain fee will see a $.25 increase. And Garbage charge will go up to about an 8 1/2 percent. Refuse Disposal fee will go up to about a 10 1/2 percent change. The waste management tax for the two combined will be 9.75 percent.
“They may seem like large percentages, but they are on small amount of dollars,” Sonmor said. “Everyone will be based on the same rates. Then it’s just based on your usage.”
The sewer charge and recycling fees will not see any increase.
Previous times the rates have been changed were a few years back. Water rates were changed in 2012, sewer and refuse were changed in 2010 and storm water was changed in 2011.
The rate change schedule shows that on Feb. 1, the water and storm water rate changes will become effective. The refuse fund change will occur on March 1.
Sure wish my social security would rise 8.5 to 10.5 percent every two/three years. Lucky to get two to three per cent, but then medicare and Medica insurance and drug insurance increase more than that.
Nibble, nibble, nibble. The council is relentless in eating up our personal income. The death by a thousand small bites.