For the first time in six years, the North Salt Lake City Council is considering an increase in the city’s culinary, secondary, and storm water rates in order to meet operating expenses and begin repairs on both the culinary and storm water systems. Both systems ended the last fiscal year with negative unreserved cash balances.
Officials answered questions during a public hearing as part of the Feb. 2 city council meeting, and plan to make a decision on the increase during their Feb. 16 meeting.
“I’ve always felt it was good due process to let a public hearing stand on its own,” said North Salt Lake City Financial Director Brian Passey. “I don’t like to force action, because you might learn something during the hearing you need to follow up on.”
One of the issues city staff are following up on from the public hearing is what to do about a small percentage of residents who have xeriscaped their yards (decorating with rocks and other things that don’t need to be watered). These residents, who have sometimes had their secondary water shut off and use culinary water to take care of occasional outdoor plants, will likely get a reduced rate increase.
“The problem is that we still have bills to pay even if people refuse service,” said Passey, referring to the Weber Basin Water Conservancy District. “They’re still using the water, it’s just that more of it is coming from indoors.”
The proposed culinary water base rates for 2010 begin with $22 for those with three-quarter inch meter sizes, with one-inch meters receiving a $31 base rate. Costs increase accordingly in relation to meter size, though most residents will have a base rate somewhere between $22 and $30 dollars.
jwardell@davisclipper.com
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