Without much further discussion and little public participation at a public hearing Monday night, the Langley City Council approved a 2 percent increase for utility services in 2016.

The council voted 3-0 to approve the city’s fee schedule. That document includes every charge, rate and fee that can possibly be levied by the city, everything from permit application fees and utility rates to parking tickets and the oft-neglected or unknown dog registration fee. Councilwomen Robin Black and Rene Neff were absent, but the council still had a quorum.

Increasing the utility rate was necessary, city leaders said, to maintain the system and to one day begin building capital reserves.

“We have an aging infrastructure without any funding source in place,” Public Works Director Stan Berryman said.

Money for the city’s utilities — sewer, storm water, and water — comes from a few main sources. Mostly, it comes from the monthly rates which pay for the upkeep and maintenance. A portion of that money is put into a reserve fund for each utility, which is accrued over time to pay for capital projects, such as replacing old or broken lines.

Another revenue source for utility funds is new construction. Whenever a new structure is erected, the owner pays a fee for the various and individual utility connections, and that money gets added to the specific fund.

A third major source of utility revenue is from grants for capital projects. Those opportunities, however, are dwindling, leaving Langley to find its own funds to replace aging sewer, storm water and water lines through the city, according to Mayor Fred McCarthy.

Monthly base rates for sewer will be $30.08 for a residence. That charge covers up to 3,750 gallons over two months — the standard billing term in Langley — with an additional $0.01475 per gallon charge past that usage.

Storm water rates will range from $25.71 for a single residential developed property to $52.51 for a residential multifamily over two units.

Regular water rates increase to $42.08 for a residence up to 3,500 gallons per month, and with a charge of $0.57 per 100 gallons over that during a two-month period, up to 30,000 gallons.

Councilman Jim Sundberg, whose term ends at the end of the year, repeated previous statements of support for the city’s oft-criticized utilities costs.

“It’s a rationale for the quality of life that we continue to enjoy,” he said.

Director of Finance Debbie Mahler said more work has been done on Langley’s water lines in the past three years than the previous two decades. Also, Langley has a pair of water projects budgeted and scheduled for 2016. Crews will replace the water mains along Cascade and Decker avenues. Work will be paid for by the city’s water reserve fund, which accumulated its funds over time through the rates.

Sewer rates may be amended, however, in the near future. Langley contracted with PACE Engineering to review and evaluate its sewer service, including the functionality of the system and its rates.

Approving an increase while the city awaits the results seemed premature to Sharon Emerson, who ran for mayor in the general election earlier this month. She trailed Tim Callison by 36 votes as of Nov. 17. During the public comment period of Monday’s council meeting, she questioned the council’s reasoning for accepting an additional 2 percent for utilities.

Sundberg said the council needed to add it for service and as part of the budget process, and could later amend the fee schedule to reflect the sewer study.

One of the only additions to the fee schedule was a $50 tree removal application fee. Langley adopted a tree cutting ordinance in 2014 to protect large trees — those a foot in diameter — but has found that the process is a bit onerous for the one-member planning department responsible for reviewing applications. Interim planning Director Jack Lynch said he has a stack to review, and at each request he has to inspect the tree with an expert to evaluate the tree’s health.

“I do go out there and have to be there with an arborist,” he said.

The Langley City Council is expected to hold a final hearing on the budget on Monday, Dec. 7. At that same meeting, after the hearing, the council may vote to approve the budget.