The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
City hikes water, sewer rates
Council approves 4 percent increase to water rates, and 3 percent increase to sewer rates
Avon City Council voted to raise water and sewer rates July 13 following recent increases from suppliers.
Council approved a four percent increase to water and a three percent increase to sanitary sewer rates.
Both increases will begin in August.
According to documents, water will be increased from its present rate of $5 per 1,000 to $5.20 per 1,000 gallons.
Sewer rates currently set at $7.38 per 1,000 gallons will go up to $7.60 per 1,000 gallons.
The increases will cost the average homeowner an additional $40 annually based on an average consumption rate of 96,000 gallons per year.
Neighboring Avon Lake under Avon Lake Regional Water recently raised sewer rates by 15 percent and water rates by 3.15 percent.
Avon Finance Director Bill Logan said the increases were a result of recent infrastructure investments.
Utilities Director Brian Bruce said Avon’s infrastructure is more of a maintenance environment and foresees the Miller Road pump house and the city’s old water tower needing upgrades over the next five to 10 years.
Councilman Bob Butkowski said the city needs to look five to 10 years down the road in analyzing potential upgrades instead of “walloping” residents with rate increases to pay for it.
Butkowski said the strategy undertaken by the city in pursuing more consistent, modest increases helps pay for projects a little bit at time, placing the city in a more sound financial position in the water and sewer funds.
Mayor Bryan Jensen said the city decided to stick with the three percent given in light of the novel coronavirus pandemic and homeowners who are facing financial difficulties.
“We just thought, with everything that is going on, at the minimum to show everybody that we do know what is going on out in the community and to be cognizant of what some people may be going through,” Jensen said.
The city did not want to use rate increases as a way of making up for lost revenue or to pay for infrastructure, he said.