The City Council of Webster City will consider an update to water and sewer rates Monday night as the council meets in regular session Monday night.
The council held a work session on June 5 to discuss increasing the rates. According to a memo to the council from Finance Director Dodie Wolfgram, the current water revenue is not keeping up with the increasing costs for operations and improvements.
“We’ve been made aware that a new water treatment plant may be needed within the next 5 to 10 years. In order to keep up with our current improvement projects which include the water paying for their portion of the annual street maintenance projects and the future plant, a surcharge is being proposed in addition to rate increases,” Wolfgram said in the memo.
The proposed rate increases would phase in over several years as follows:
Year 1 — 50 percent base increase; 15 percent volume increase and an initial surcharge;
Year 2 — 15 percent volume increase;
Year 3 — 100 percent surcharge increase;
Year 4 — 5 percent volume increase.
Wolfram said in the memo that the new ordinance would also ” show a 2 percent annual increase on the volume to keep up with the cost of living increase.
The council will also consider a 2 percent annual increase in sewer rates on the base rate and volume as well as adding a surcharge.
The council will consider the rate increases in the first readings of the two proposed ordinances.
The Recreation and Public Grounds Department will submit a request for approval of mold removal from the Illinois Central Depot and Hamilton County’s first courthouse, both located at Wilson Brewer Park.
The council is expected to approve the final payment of $75,435 to Habhab Construction of Webster City for the completion of the demolition at 605 Second St., the site of the former Fuhs Pastry Shop.
The council will also make several appointments to city boards and commissions.
The meeting Monday begins at 6 p.m. and the public can join in via Zoom by using the meeting code 848 0458 3635. The meeting can also be accessed through the city’s Facebook page.
View the article as it originally appeared in the Daily Freeman-Journal.
Last modified: June 23, 2021