Polk County News
Polk County Itemizer-Observer • December 28, 2016 12A
Water rates will change for FC RV park
State law regarding recreational vehicles prompts city to review how Green Haven RV Park residents pay for service
By Jolene Guzman
The Itemizer-Observer
FALLS CITY — Residents
of Green Haven RV Park may
soon see an increase in what
they pay for water.
In November, the Falls
City City Council requested
a review of water usage at
the park, which has 30 recre-
a t i o n a l ve h i c l e s p a c e s
served by water, a restroom,
an office and a manufac-
tured home onsite.
The city has considered
the residents in the park as
temporary and were re-
quired by the city to move
every six months, but state
law states otherwise.
The law (ORS 197.493)
says “local governments
may not prohibit the place-
ment or occupancy of a
recreational vehicle, impose
any limit on the length of
occupancy of a recreational
vehicle” if it is in a mobile
home or RV park and served
by water, sewer and electric-
ity. All three of those utilities
are available at Green
Haven, 200 Church St.
Mayor Terry Ungricht la-
beled the status as “non-
temporary.”
“It’s weird,” Ungricht said.
“If you have a site that has a
permanent water, sewer and
electric hook up, they are no
longer considered tempo-
rary under state law. They
don’t designate them as per-
manent, but they are saying
that we cannot require them
to move. They basically be-
come permanent residents.”
Currently, the park is on
one meter and billed for a 2-
inch water line at the com-
mercial rate, averaging
about $243.54 per month in
2015. The city used the 2015
number for comparison be-
cause the park has a water
leak in 2016 thar significant-
JOLENE GUZMAN/ Itemizer-Observer
The city of Falls City may negotiate a new way of charging residents of Green Haven RV Park in Falls City for water
service. City councilors at the Dec. 8 expressed support for charging the residential rate in the park.
ly increased usage. In 2016,
the average monthly bill was
$551.59.
Ungricht said other multi-
unit complexes in town with
one meter are typically
charged with a “multiplier,”
meaning each unit is
charged a base rate for serv-
ice and overage fees for any
usage more than 5,000 gal-
lons per month.
“They are getting a real big
break on their water,” Un-
gricht said. “It’s a tough one. I
think that they are definitely
taking of advantage of other
customers on the system.”
During a discussion on
Dec. 8, the council directed
Ungricht to begin negotia-
Water use at Green Haven RV Park
Total usage Monthly average Total Charges Monthly charges
2015
578,000
48,167
$2992.48
$243.54
2014
646,000
53,833
$3,059.46
$254.96
2013
409,000
34,083
$2,208.65
$184.05
tions with the park to
change the way it is billed to
match what other users on
the system pay.
He proposed several pos-
sible solutions, but the
council chose to propose
charging each unit served
with water the residential
base rate. That rate is $41.96
per month plus any overage
costs for usage of more than
5,000 gallons. That would
mean a $1,258.80 base rate if
all 30 spots were full.
“I’ve talked to a lot of peo-
ple. and everybody that I’ve
talked to feels the same,”
Councilor Tony Meier said. “If
you move one of those trail-
ers out of there and you put it
on a lot out here, they would
pay the basic bill no matter
what they use. Being that he
now has 30 permanent spots,
he (park owner Richard Bow-
man) should be (paying) the
equivalent for that.”
Councilor Dennis Sickles
wanted to make sure the city
notified Bowman, before
changing the rates.
“I agree it needs to the be
fair and equitable to every-
one else in this community,”
Sickles said.
Councilor Jenn Drill sug-
gested that the city could
phase in the increase, charg-
ing the park for just half the
sites for six months and
begin charging for all of
them after that.
“That way it is not such a
shocker,” she said.
Green Haven resident
Tamara Herren works part-
time in the park office. She
said there may be no way to
avoid sticker shock for some
residents.
“I can understand that
water rates need to be
raised,” she said. “As a mem-
ber of the park, I know this is
going to be a problem for
the owner.”
She said Bowman has
tried to keep rents as low as
possible and hasn’t raised
them in years.
“He’s going to have to
now,” she said.
Bowman said a prelimi-
nary meeting with city staff
indicated water rates could
double or triple. With resi-
dents moving in and out of
the park frequently, it would
be difficult to track how
many spots to charge each
month, he added.
Bowman said he couldn’t
comment further as he
plans to fight the increase
legally.
Ungricht said once a new
rate structure for the park
has been established, he will
bring it before the council
for final approval.
The Itemizer-Observer would like to wish you a Happy New Year!