PORT ANGELES — The City Council on Tuesday narrowly approved utility fee increases that will cost each household and business $55.80 next year.
The ordinance passed in a 4-3 vote with council members Max Mania, Brad Collins and Cherie Kidd opposed.
They did not express reasons for their opposition.
Mayor Dan Di Guilio, Deputy Mayor Don Perry and council members Patrick Downie and Brooke Nelson voted in favor of the increase.
Electrical base charge
The fee increases apply to the electrical base charge, its first increase since 1993, and a wastewater fee for the city’s combined sewer overflow — or CSO — project.
The electrical base charge, intended to cover the costs of maintaining the utility’s infrastructure, will increase from $11 to $13 per month, an 18 percent increase.
CSO fee
The CSO fee will jump from $12.30 to $14.95 per month.
The approximately $40 million CSO project is expected to cut the number of annual sewage overflows from up to 100 to no more than four by 2016.
The CSO fee started in 2005. The city increases it every year by $2 plus the rate of inflation.
It will continue increasing at that rate until 2015, when it will reach $26.40 per month. The rate will expire after another 20 years.
The ordinance did not include increases to electrical and water permit fees previously proposed by staff.
The council at its Oct. 19 meeting nixed both proposals, which would have raised water connection fees by 10 percent and electrical permit fees by 25 percent.
Council members also directed staff at that meeting to take another look at the electrical permit fees, possibly lowering the charge for small projects.
In October, the Clallam County Public Utility District approved an 8 percent electrical rate increase that will cost the average customer about $100 per year in response to wholesale power increases from the Bonneville Power Administration.
Not raised since 2007
The city has not raised its the electrical rate charge, which applies to consumption, since 2007.
BPA rates for the PUD increased by 5 percent last month. The wholesale rate for the PUD increased by the same amount last year.
The city chose to accept a 10 percent increase in 2009 to avoid any wholesale increases this year.
Glenn Cutler, city public works and utilities director, said before the meeting that Port Angeles has avoided increasing the consumption rate by using reserves.
“It will be a challenge,” he said, to avoid an increase to the rate next year.
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
