The Reporter newspaper, Camdenton Missouri

The Reporter covers Miller, Morgan and Camden County in Central Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks and is published once per week on Wednesdays.

Published May 10, 2017

Board begins effort to increase water, sewer rates

CAMDENTON – After a public hearing where no one spoke for or against a water and sewer rate increase, the Board of Aldermen approved the first reading of the rate increase for city users.

According to the city, the last time they raised rates was in March of 2015 and those rates need to be reviewed annually.

The proposed increase would have been higher than the actual one passed last week.

By using a past rate analysis sheet, it was suggested that the city would raise the water rates by $2 ($12 base rate for the first 2,000 gallons) and a 90 cent increase ($4.15) for each additional 1,000 gallons.

The sewer rates would see a base rate increase of 72 cents ($9, based on water usage) plus $2.45 (27 cent increase) for every 1,000 gallons of water used.

These rates would have raised the monthly bill for a 5,000 gallon a month customer to $46.32 ($6.84 a month, a 17 percent increase).

“After discussion on these rates and other matters, the Board directed that we should look at other scenarios and return back to discuss the issue further,” City Clerk Renee Kingston and City Administrator Jeff Hancock said in their report to the board.

However, in April city staff stated they were not comfortable with the rate calculation sheets that were used in the past and that other water and sewer charges should be reviewed.

This resulted in only a slight increase for the monthly rates but a considerable increase for new installations and late fees.

The water rates will increase from $10 for the first 2,000 gallons to $11 while the sewer rates will increase from $8.28 to $9 (base rate).

The proposed water and sewer rate increases would generate an estimated annual income of $33,126.52, the city stated.

Residents may want to pay their bills on a timely basis if these rates to go into effect. The late payment penalty will rise from 1.5 percent to 10 percent of the user charge bill and will be added to each delinquent bill for each calendar month the bill remains unpaid.

If the service is disconnected for being delinquent, the reconnection fee will be charged as follows:

“If water bills remain unpaid by the tenth of the following billing, service will be discontinued and a fee of $25 for the first time in a 12-month period; a fee of $50 for the second time in a 12-month period; a fee of $100 for the third and subsequent times in a 12-month period must be paid before service can be reconnected during normal duty hours of the Water Department. After normal duty hours and on weekends, a fee of $100 plus the reconnect fee as stated above must be paid before service can be reconnected.”

Water hookups and fees will also see a considerable increase.

The water hookup charge will change from the current $500 to $900 for a three-quarter inch meter (per hookup).

Those wanting one-inch meter will pay $1,150 (up from the current $700).

The biggest increase is for a two-inch meter hookup which will double in price. Currently the fee is $1,000 but will rise to $2,000.

A second reading on the ordinance is scheduled for the May 16 Board of Aldermen meeting.

If the ordinance is approved the rate and charges would take effect June 1 of this year.

In some of the other business at last week’s Board of Aldermen meeting:

• Approved both readings of the bid with Bales Construction for the former fire station/Missouri State University remodel project

The report to the board explained the remodel project and why it needs to be done.

“Since last winter we have been communicating our efforts to have Missouri State University lease the Old Fire Station for community training and college classes. Other activities in this effort have included Missouri State University representatives beginning their law enforcement training recruitment by providing their first training class to approximately 50 law enforcement officers throughout the region. As our efforts grew we informed you that we had engaged the architecture firm Columbia Associates and Mr. Keith Miller to begin developing the necessary design to meet Missouri State University building needs for the building remodel necessary for a lease with Missouri State University.”

The final cost of the remodel will be $60,974 (for the desired MSU renovations). The city will make and pay for the improvements, beginning July 15, 2017, MSU will reimburse Camdenton in the form of monthly rental payments of $833 per month over a six-year period.

In addition, MSU will pay the monthly utilities the facility uses.

MSU representatives will be meeting with the city and other community leaders on May 16 at 5:30 p.m. on their anticipated plans and programs for the building.

• Approved the Fixed Base Operator agreement with Lake Aviation to run the Camdenton Memorial-Lake Regional Airport.
• Approved an Inter-Governmental Agreement with Camden County Commissioners for Geographic Information System Integration