PORT ANGELES — The City Council expanded its options for 2015 utility rates at a work session Tuesday night to include a possible flat rate for water to encourage more usage — and a greener, more garden-friendly Port Angeles.
But the proposal, with specifics that will be worked out in coming weeks by city public works and utilities, could increase water utility costs for low-income, low-volume users and decrease costs for high-income, high-volume users.
Port Angeles Public Works also will present an option that would keep the monthly base charge for electricity at $16.77 instead of raise it to a proposed $18.23 but would increase electricity consumption charges.
The proposed rate structure will be added to the options that council members will consider when they take up the ordinance again at their next regular meeting at 6 p.m. Oct. 7 at the City Council chambers at City Hall, 321 E. Fifth St.
“One of the assumptions is that there would be a 5 percent increase on water [consumption],” Craig Fulton, public works and utilities director, said this morning.
“We’ll run the numbers on that.
“We’ll have to go through quite a number of calculations to find out what will be the rate impacts on various rate classes.
“We will run the calculations to we can inform the City Council on Oct. 7.”
The two-hour work session Tuesday was held after concerns were expressed by several citizens at a Sept. 16 public hearing on an ordinance that would set higher rates for water, wastewater and electricity that the increases would be too burdensome on low-income ratepayers.
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Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5060, or at pgottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.
