PORT TOWNSEND — Residential utility customers in Port Townsend will be assessed a 3 percent rate increase for water each year for the next five years, beginning in April, while sewer rate increases are not planned until 2015 .
The water rate change will be reflected in the city’s April water bill.
A 4 percent increase in sewer rates is planned in both 2015 and 2016.
“We haven’t raised rates since 2006 and even lowered them in 2009,” said City Manager David Timmons after the Port Townsend City Council approved the increases Monday night.
“We are anticipating a sharp increase in cost in the next few years, and this increase will give us the opportunity to catch up,” Timmons added.
Timmons said the average increase per water customer would be about 50 cents per month.
Timmons said the funds are needed to address maintenance and operations costs.
The new residential rate for water service will be $14.57 per month ($7.78 for low-income) for 2,000 gallons.
The rate per 2,000 gallons for each following year, with the low-income rate in parentheses, will be:
■ $15.01 ($8.01) in 2013.
■ $15.46 ($8.25) in 2014.
■ $15.93 ($8.25) in 2015.
■ $16.40 ($8.75) in 2016.
The city serves about 4,700 water accounts, with a few hundred of them located south of the city limit.
Rates are slightly higher outside the city limit: $16.07 ($9.49) in 2012, $16.55 ($9.77) in 2013, $17.05 ($10.06) in 2014, $17.56 ($10.37) in 2015 and $18.08 ($10.68) in 2016.
The cost this year of an additional 1,000 gallons per resident is $2.06 within the city limit and $2.22 outside of it.
Commercial rates, which are computed based on the diameter of the utility pipe, also are increasing.
The current monthly sewer rate for less than 3,000 gallons will remain unchanged at $33.85, or $23.72 for low-income, for now but will increase to $35.20 ($24.67) in 2015 and $36.61 ($25.66) in 2016.
Timmons said it was not certain how much would be needed to accommodate the city’s increased costs but that doing a five-year increase instead of addressing it each year would save the council time and money.
“One of the things that we can do is vote a modest increase now that will forestall a larger increase later,” said Councilman Mark Welch.
Councilman Bob Gray voted against the hike because he said it had not been planned properly.
“Ever since 2008, the people have stepped up,” Gray said.
“They have supported the school levy, the fire levy. They have supported the transit levy and assumed a lot of expenses.
“What concerns me is that the people don’t understand what they will have to pay in the future.”
Aside from Welch, City Council members Catharine Robinson, Deborah Stinson, Michelle Sandoval, Deputy Mayor Kris Nelson and Mayor David King voted for the increase.
“We are not trying to collect money for no reason,” Nelson said.
“I think we deserve a pat on the back for keeping costs down.”
The council voted on the increases after receiving a report from FCS Group of Redmond, which the city hired to study rates for city water and sewer utilities.
The rate increase covers maintenance and operations and not capital projects.
“This is a way to get us back on track,” Timmons said of the increase.
“We haven’t raised rates since 2006, and the cost of living has gone up more than 11 percent since then.”
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
