Sewer increase for Sebree ‘out of town’ customers?

Rates could go up by minimum of $84 per month!

by MATT HUGHES

J-E Editor

Water and sewer rate talk dominated the Sebree Council meeting on Monday. The primary source of discussion was the sewer rate for Webster County Water customers outside the city who us Sebree sewer. A proposed increase could see those customers paying an additional minimum of $84.19 per month.

Talk about the non water customers began last month when the city approved the first reading of an ordinance raising water rates to match new rates passed down from Henderson, where the city purchases it’s water. According to city officials, although those customers use the city’s sewer system, they currently do not pay for that service.

On Monday a committee made up of council members Debbie Stull, Harold Orrick and Kenny Wright, along with City Clerk Mary Thomas and Public Works Director Emory Thomas presented the council with a proposed rate increase.

The rate would see businesses outside the city limits that took county water but city sewer pay a $20.00 per month fee, along with a sewer bill equal to 100 percent of their monthly water usage (at the out of town rate). Residences, which include traditional homes, duplexes and apartment buildings, would pay a $30 per month fee plus 100 percent of their water usage (at the out of town rate).

Under this proposal, a household using an average of 2,000 gallons per month would their normal bill to the Webster County Water District, then they would pay the city of Sebree a $30 fee plus $54.19 for sewer, which is the monthly rate for out of town water customers. That’s a total of $84.19.

For households using 4,000 gallons per month, which the water district has previously reported as their average, would now pay $99.27 per month to the city of Sebree for sewer.

These customers had previously paid nothing to the city.

Much of the talk centered around JEM’s proposed development of an apartment complex on the outskirts of town. The apartments would be considered a ‘residence’ under this plan.

The proposal would also charge the apartment complex $30 per unit, whether those units were occupied or not.

Customers outside the city limits who purchase their water from the city would not be affected by this proposal.

In the end, the council decided to table discussion until next month. The council’s next meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 6, 2015 at 5:00 p.m.