From the Sky-Hi Daily News (Reid Armstrong):
Town Manager Jeff Durbin along with the town’s water-wastewater committee has proposed treating businesses and residences the same under a new fee structure. “I don’t see any reason to multiply the rate for businesses just because they are businesses,” Durbin said. “Businesses carry more of the burden already, and without them, we won’t have services.”[…]
Under the proposed system, businesses and residences would be charged based on the size of the pipe coming into their building rather than on the square footage of the business or the number of bedrooms in the house. The new system is expected to “flatten out inconsistencies,” Durbin said. Many businesses are expected to pay less for water and sewer under the proposed fee structure than they did in 2010. Larger, newer residences are also likely to see rates drop with the new fee structure since they are typically second homes that use less water.
But, with the switch from a flat rate to a use-based system comes some risk, explained Durbin. If the plan works and customers really start conserving water, the town stands to lose much-needed revenue…
Most of Fraser’s single-family residential customers currently pay a flat rate of $119 per quarter for water and $121 for sewer, regardless of use. The proposed base rate drops to $115 per quarter for almost all residences, including those who have larger homes. But, the town is also proposing a usage fee of $1.50 per 1,000 gallons. The average homeowner who uses 4,000 gallons per month will only see their bill increase by about $6 or 5 percent, Durbin said. Wastewater rates are proposed to increase from $121 per quarter to $129.
The board will discuss the proposed rate changes when it meets at 7 p.m. Dec. 1 in Fraser Town Hall.
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