Click the link to read the article on the Pagosa Springs Sun website (Josh Pike). Here’s an excerpt:
PAWSD Business Manager Aaron Burns opened the discussion by ex- plaining that the board gave direction at its Nov. 14 work session for staff to look at other rates and fees beyond the district’s main water and waste- water rates, and attempt to use these to reduce the increases in water and wastewater rates. He stated that some of the areas discussed were availability fees, rates for waste haulers and rates at water fill stations. He added that staff from Stantec — the company performing the rate study for the district — incorporated the changes into the calculations, which made a “significant” differ- ence, particularly in wastewater rate increases.
Zac Koch of Stantec then presented on the rate study, highlighting the changes made from the previous presentation in November. For water rates, Koch explained that the primary change in the study was that, as suggested at the November work session, availability fees will now scale in accordance with the increases in water rates, with the expected decrease in the number of lots remaining the same…[Koch] stated that rate increases would remain at 5 percent annually between 2026 and 2029, with 15 percent increases occurring in 2030 and 2031 to cover the increased expenses for Regulation 35 compliance, and no increase in 2032. According to Koch’s presentation, this would bring the projected monthly residential bill from $32.80 in 2023 to $89.11 in 2032, down from the $103.34 bill in 2032 indicated in the previous presentation…
Following a brief discussion, the board unanimously voted to accept the conclusions of the rate study and to set a public hearing on the rates for Jan. 25, 2024, at 5 p.m. at the PAWSD administrative offices at 100 Lyn Ave.