HUMBOLDT – Humboldt council members instructed Administrator Cole Herder to prepare an ordinance to increase water and sewer rates. They will decide the issue at their Feb. 13 meeting.
He pointed out income had trailed expenses and transfers were made from the Gas Department fund to keep the water fund above board.
Water will go up 3 percent for residents and 4 percent for the 46 outside city limits. Sewer rates, with a major project to improve the system due to start in a few months, will increase 5 percent for all customers.
Herder justified the higher water rate for non-residents by pointing out those living in town pay an annual 2-mill property tax levy to support water purification and distribution. He said the additional 1 percent raise evened total responsibility inside and out of the city.
On average, monthly water costs will go up a little over $1 for 886 residential properties and $2 for the 46 rural consumers. Sewer increases also will be about $2 for all.
In a session lasting less than an hour, Herder mentioned that in response to a resident’s concern about the time-and-temperature sign outside City Hall not being fully operational, cost to make it so might be prohibitive. The sign has 42 LED modules on each side, a total of 84, and each costs $120 to replace.
“I’ll look at moving some around to get better readings,” Herder said, an option to spending the money to make the sign legible. The sign’s days also may be numbered if a digital informational sign, expected to have time and temperature, goes online on the east side of the downtown square.
Herder said it appears spotlights at the Veterans Memorial have been the target of vandals. “We’re working on wire cages to keep the lights from being broken,” Herder said.
Humboldt readies water rate hike
