By Jim Reece - The Sutter Creek City Council voted to raise wastewater rates and set a public hearing on the issue for December 15. The new rates could go into effect in January 2009. Under State Proposition 218, the council was required to notify the public of its intent to raise rates. A sufficient public protest of the rate hike could stop the action. The rates would rise three times over the next two years. Current residential rates in Sutter Creek are 50 dollars and 5 cents a month and would rise in January 2009 to 60 dollars and 57 cents. In July 2009, the rate would go up to 66 dollars and 27 cents a month, then rise once more, to 72 dollars and 57 cents a month in July 2010. Mayor Gary Wooten said none of the council members wanted to raise rates, but a number of issues led to a deficit in wastewater coffers. City Manager Rob Duke said a flood in 2007 led to emergency work at the Henderson Dam and Reservoir, depleting 800,000 dollars in wastewater funds. The city spent a total of 1 million dollars on work at Henderson. Additional work at Henderson, to buttress the dam and increase storage capacity for the City’s Amador Regional Sanitation Authority, would cost between 1.5 million and 2 million dollars, Duke said. Consultant Bob Reed presented a study of Sutter Creek wastewater finances that outlined steps to revamp funding. Rates in Amador City are 5 dollars and 22 cents per 1,000 gallons and in Martell are 5 dollars and 30 cents. Amador City rates would rise to 9 dollars and 84 cents per thousand gallons in January 2009, 10 dollars and 11 cents in July ’09 and 10 dollars and 41 cents in July 2010. Martell area’s rates would go to 8 dollars and 13 cents in January ’09, 8 dollars and 55 cents in July ’09 and 8 dollars and 90 cents in July 2010. Rates would also go up for the Amador Water Agency.
Thursday, 23 October 2008 00:24
Sutter Creek To Raise Wastewater Rates
By Jim Reece - The Sutter Creek City Council voted to raise wastewater rates and set a public hearing on the issue for December 15. The new rates could go into effect in January 2009. Under State Proposition 218, the council was required to notify the public of its intent to raise rates. A sufficient public protest of the rate hike could stop the action. The rates would rise three times over the next two years. Current residential rates in Sutter Creek are 50 dollars and 5 cents a month and would rise in January 2009 to 60 dollars and 57 cents. In July 2009, the rate would go up to 66 dollars and 27 cents a month, then rise once more, to 72 dollars and 57 cents a month in July 2010. Mayor Gary Wooten said none of the council members wanted to raise rates, but a number of issues led to a deficit in wastewater coffers. City Manager Rob Duke said a flood in 2007 led to emergency work at the Henderson Dam and Reservoir, depleting 800,000 dollars in wastewater funds. The city spent a total of 1 million dollars on work at Henderson. Additional work at Henderson, to buttress the dam and increase storage capacity for the City’s Amador Regional Sanitation Authority, would cost between 1.5 million and 2 million dollars, Duke said. Consultant Bob Reed presented a study of Sutter Creek wastewater finances that outlined steps to revamp funding. Rates in Amador City are 5 dollars and 22 cents per 1,000 gallons and in Martell are 5 dollars and 30 cents. Amador City rates would rise to 9 dollars and 84 cents per thousand gallons in January 2009, 10 dollars and 11 cents in July ’09 and 10 dollars and 41 cents in July 2010. Martell area’s rates would go to 8 dollars and 13 cents in January ’09, 8 dollars and 55 cents in July ’09 and 8 dollars and 90 cents in July 2010. Rates would also go up for the Amador Water Agency.
