Residents will see the big jump in the city’s stormwater utility rates starting in July.
The rate hike — which will increase the monthly charge for single family homes by $10.60, up to $13.50 — is expected to be the first of a series of annual increases. Langley council members are considering adopting a five-year plan to raise stormwater utility rates to help pay for maintenance, operation and debt service of the current system. In future years, increases will help pay for new stormwater infrastructure projects.
At the council meeting Monday, city officials presented a broad outline of the five-year plan.
Council members said they supported the increase, and Councilman Jim Recupero reminded the council how revenues, that could be going to street repairs, are now being used to support the city’s stormwater system.
“I think we should go along with this plan,” said Recupero, a member of the city’s utility committee. “We should do this as soon as possible.”
“It’s going to be hard to swallow, but it’s something we have to do,” he added.
Under the proposed five-year plan, the city would begin to build up funds for stormwater infrastructure projects next year. Monthly rates would continue to climb, with increases of $4.10 in 2010 and 2011 for single family residences, followed by increases of $1 in 2012 and 2013.
City officials have said the increases are unavoidable. Officials have said residential rates need to be raised from the current $2.90 per month to $13.49 just to break even.
That would need no money for improvements, however. Along with increases to single family homes, other utility customers in Langley would also face increases in their utility bills.
The city council will review a five-year rate schedule for stormwater utility fees and hold a public hearing at the council’s next meeting on June 1. The council is planning to adopt the new rate schedule at the following meeting on June 15.
Although the city will begin charging its customers more for the stormwater utility on July 1, the increase in fees will not be reflected on bills until mid-September. Those bills will include higher rates for the months of July through August.
If the council approves the five-year rate schedule, the new rates for 2010 would take effect on Jan 1 and would be reflected on bills that are sent out in March.
