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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 25, 2017)
6 Wednesday, October 25, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Church to host Harvest Fair City takes a hard look at water, sewer rates By Sue Stafford Correspondent Though everybody in Sisters uses water and the sewer system, a meeting held last week to inform the public about the results of the water and sewer rate study was only lightly attended. City staff mem- bers and City Councilors in attendance outnum- bered the four citizens who showed up. Chris Gonzalez, proj- ect manager for the FCS Group, gave a comprehen- sive report on the findings of his company’s study. Utility rate studies are important because they enable a utility to remain self-sufficient, and they ensure that rates reflect utility policies and priorities. With a moderate rate increase of 2 to 2.5 percent over the next five years, all future capital improvements can be made without going into debt. The new recom- mended rates are more equi- table, encourage water con- servation, and are very com- petitive with other Central Oregon cities. Redmond is the only city with lower rates. Many residential custom- ers are currently paying for the base 1,000 cubic feet of A Harvest Fair and Chili Cook-off will be held on Tuesday, October 31, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 68885 Trinity Way in Sisters. The public is invited to bring their best chili recipe for judging. Additional meal items will be provided. In addition, there will be a carved pump- kin (bring a pumpkin already carved) contest and other fun activities. Costumes are welcome. Similar to a county fair, there will be exhibit space for attendees to display their tal- ents, skill, or hobbies such as baking, painting, woodcarv- ing, photography, etc. Highlight of the evening will be a square-dancing demonstration followed by instruction for those want- ing to learn square-dancing basics. There is no charge for the event. For more informa- tion contact Mel Petterson, 541-549-4499. water and never using that much water in a month. Under the proposed new rates, customers will pay for the amount of water actually used. A low-consumption customer would benefit the most from this change. The sewer rate study resulted in a proposed change in how the rate is determined. The current win- ter period of January-March that the City uses to calculate non-residential (commercial) equivalent dwelling units (EDUs), would be expanded to include October-April. This change intends to improve equity between residential and commercial customers by recognizing that a number of the City’s non-residential customers do not exhibit representative water usage patterns during the January-March billing periods. With this adjustment, the City can decrease the monthly rate per EDU based on the increased number of EDUs assigned to some of its non-residential customers. 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There will also be a public hear- ing at the time the Council considers approval of the rates. The City reserve funds connected to the water and sewer utilities are in good financial shape. In the beginning of the 2017- 18 fiscal year, the water reserve fund stood at $2.6M and by 2022 should be about $3.4M in prepara- tion for some major capital improvements. The sewer reserves began 2017-18 with $2.2 million and by 2022 should be $2.1 million due to expenses related to bio solid removal and replacing and upsiz- ing equipment, which will be about 20 years old. After that, there shouldn’t be much required in the way of maintenance. THE STEELHEAD ARE IN! It’s time to b fall guide ook your tr the expert ip with s Fly Fisher’ at the s Place! 541-410-4509 SistersForestProducts.com Shredder Vac Smile by Mariah and The Brace Place! A combined water and sewer bill for a single-family residence with a 3/4-inch water meter and 700 cubic feet of monthly water usage, under the 2017 billing, would pay $29.59 for water and $39 for sewer, for a total of $59.59 a month. Under the proposed rates for 2018, there would be a 1.9 percent decrease in the combined bill due to a decrease in the sewer charge, for a total of $58.46. The subsequent yearly increases through 2022 run between 2.1 and 2.4 percent and are generally consistent with the aggregate increases in the utilities’ annual costs. The sewer system was brand-new in 2001, so with a basically new system and equipment, the overall main- tenance costs for the sewer system are low. When the system was installed, over- sized lines were put in which proved to be a very forward- thinking action. Capital improvement projects are looking more at system growth rather than 541-549-9631 Sales • Service Rentals • Accessories www.sistersrental.com 151 W. 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