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Water and sewer rates to rise

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BY DEENA WINTER/Lincoln Journal Star

Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008 - 01:02:43 am CDT

Water and sewer rates will both go up 3 percent, starting in February.

Public works officials had proposed 4 percent increases, but the Lincoln City Council knocked off 1 percent Monday night.

The average residential water bill is $26.61 and the average sewer bill is $20.87.

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Public Works Director Greg MacLean said the hikes are needed to deal with increasing costs for power, fuel, treatment chemicals and to provide infrastructure in the city’s growth area. His department has become more efficient, he said, by reorganizing after retirements.

Public Works business manager Margaret Remmenga said Lincoln’s rates still are lower than most communities, according to annual industry surveys.

Both departments also plan to issue revenue bonds to help fund capital projects, Remmenga said.

“We try to maximize the bond issues and minimize user fee increases so future ratepayers are helping pay for infrastructure cost,” said Remmenga, one of many longtime city employees retiring this year.

Mike Eckert, representing developers John and Tom Schleich, said although as landlords, they’ll bear the brunt of increased water and sewer rates, they understand the fee increases will fund needed capital projects.

The home builders association came out in support of the rate increases, which help pay for infrastructure to new areas.

Citizen Russell Miller opposed the increase, saying it continues a “long pattern of rate increases in the name of growth” and will only benefit developers. He said if city leaders refuse to increase property taxes to pay for badly needed city services, they shouldn’t increase water and sewer rates either.

“My budget doesn’t particularly care whether it goes to property taxes or it goes to water and sewer (bills),” he said. “It’s still money out of my pocket.”

Councilman Jon Camp said these are user fees that can be directly targeted to the person using the service.

Water rates have increased 35 percent since 2002 and sewer rates have gone up 40 percent since 2003, according to figures provided by the city.

The city had double-digit water rate increases from 1985 to 1988 to build facilities such as the Ashland water treatment plant but had no increases from 1991 through 2001.

Council members Jonathan Cook, Doug Emery and Dan Marvin voted against the rate increases, saying it was only fair given the council’s freeze on impact fees this year, the fees help offset the city’s cost of new development.

Reach Deena Winter at 473-2642 or dwinter@journalstar.com.


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Julie wrote on August 26, 2008 7:31 am:
" Sure...why not. City of Lincoln, you allowed LES to raise their rates just the other day...you should follow suit! We don't pay enough out of our pockets already so we SHOULD be paying more for other utilities as well...right?? Thanks for considering the general public you are there to speak for city council! YOU'RE FIRED!! "

 Well wrote on August 26, 2008 7:46 am:
" So how does this work, everyone jumps on LES for a rate increase that surprised everyone. Did everyone know this rate increase was coming? If people are going to jump on LES they should be jumping on this too. On the other hand, people should now realize that fuel costs affect everything, especially producing electricity. "

 puzzled wrote on August 26, 2008 8:06 am:
" I believe the city budget can targeted money to the police dept. etc. The Home Builders are one of the leaders in reducing the city budget so that now we do NOT have enough police to investigate suspected drug dealers. Lincoln property tax and user fee payers need to reemphases where they we want our money to go. User fees did not even make the list at the Mayor's spring public budget meetings and police were at the top. "

 Aim wrote on August 26, 2008 8:18 am:
" This blows...I am sick of hearing about the rate increases. LES is being greedy and now our water and sewer is going up. Thanks Lincoln City Council. I just bought a house hear in Lincoln not to long ago. I can bairly afford all of my bills because of all the stupid rate increases. THANKS A LOT!!!! "

 vbbb wrote on August 26, 2008 8:40 am:
" I'm confused! Shouldn't the vote be the other way? I thought only Democrats voted for tax increases. This time only the Republicans voted for the tax increase. Where is the uproar from the public here in Lincoln since most of you are Republican? Stand up against your elected officials for their support of raising your taxes. You would have already responded if it were the Democrats voting for this. "

 dale wrote on August 26, 2008 9:25 am:
" go ahead and raise the rates...I'll be darn if Im gonna follow the "water usage" guidelines next summer if it is imposed. I love Lincoln...NOT!! "

 It Quacks like a duck wrote on August 26, 2008 10:24 am:
" It's all in marketing, LES should have raised the first and second half of the monthly bill by 6%, this would make every body happy. "

 I wrote on August 26, 2008 11:28 am:
" I too don't understand why there wasn't advanced notification to the public that LWS rate increases were being discussed given all the hullaballo over LES.
Also, not a day goes by when I hear/read that someone hates this town. I am finding more and more people who detest living here, me included. "

 The Real Issue wrote on August 26, 2008 11:35 am:
" The citizens were sold on, and voted for in 2003 and 2005, sewer bonds to take care of the aging infrastructure. The money (taxes) from the bonds earned interest (approx $600,000.00). The Mayor and council want to give this public money to individuals under the guise of a stimulus plan. This is public money that should be refunded to the tax payers (as we could have earned interest on our money), or put toward the infrastructure of the city. "

 Sue Stetson wrote on August 26, 2008 11:49 am:
" UP IN ARMS AND NOTHTING TO HOLD ON TO....Another rate increase!!!!!Amazing, first gas, then electric, now water and sewer along with fuel increases and grocery every other week, and then we reduce our public assistance, reduce hours at work and freeze pay increases, is anyone who is approving all of these increases looking at the final impact....you SHOULD or at least look at the increases in the need for more assistance to the homeless shelters, day shelters and soup kitchens.....ok City Council are you going to sponsor a free soup kitchen once a month to help out those already strapped with all the increases you have approved!!!!! or how about a dip in your pool or how about public pool passes FREE!!! and with winter coming..you should really look at options for all the homeless people you aer going to have because they can't afford to heat/cook/and now take showers!!!!! "

 only percent wrote on August 26, 2008 11:57 am:
" I love when people get on here to complain! does anyone realize what 3% of 40 dollars is? $1.20!! Buy one less pop a month and you back to even. Save you complaining for real issues "

 Z wrote on August 26, 2008 12:10 pm:
" I'm sure the reasoning for the increase is mostly because people aren't using as much water this year because of the plentiful rainfall. Less water usage mean less money for the utility companies. So they incourage using less water, and get higher fees. Brilliant idea "

 good job CITY wrote on August 26, 2008 1:05 pm:
" We don't know how to conserve money in government, but we certainly know how to take more of it! Keep up the good work, folks!! "

 Yes but... wrote on August 26, 2008 1:29 pm:
" 3% of $900 (my average invoice amount every other month) is $27 for an annual increase of $162.

That on top of the Aquilla and LES rate increases.

Guess I had better start re-printing the Rent Increase forms now... "

 Jeri wrote on August 26, 2008 2:02 pm:
" Thanks a lot Lincoln. Another increase. What do you want us to do? Sell our house, our car and quit our jobs-hey great....then we can go on government sub's and not have to worry about all of these increases. The government, local city and state will just pay for all of us. So you people that make a lot of money, beware, we are coming for you money to support us honest people that are trying to make an honest living and the city doesn't want us to!!!!!! "

 Bob wrote on August 26, 2008 2:45 pm:
" I concur with Z. Less usage=less revenue=raise in rates. They did as much to say this themselves in an article with the LJS six (or so) weeks back. They should reward folks for less usage, not stick it to them on the other end when they're down from record revenue. All this accomplishs is more incentive for current residents to look elsewhere to live...ENOUGH! "

 ALS wrote on August 26, 2008 4:13 pm:
" I have a solution....just dont pay your water bill. It is against the law to shut off your water. I should know when I bought my forecloser home I had to pay for the previous peoples water bill because they never paid it. They lived there for three years. Nice huh! "

 where was liba wrote on August 26, 2008 4:24 pm:
" I have to agree with the poster who has issues with the Mayor and city council using $600,000 in interest money earned from an infrastructure bond being used on pet projects for the developers in the city. Why isnt the money being used to reduce the cost of our utilities increase? Why werent the council hawks all over this? Where was LIBA? Thats right, mums the word, I guess it has to do with whom your developer members are. Democrats are trying to save the world and Republicans are getting rich off the back of the middle class. I dont know which is worse. "

 not again wrote on August 27, 2008 12:30 am:
" Vote out the spineless mayor and council. They ain't workin' for us they don't deserve our votes. If new mayor and council don't go to bat for us then BOOM out THEY go and so on. Eventually someone down there will get the message. The federal elections in 2006 were a warning shot across the bow. This November will build into a tsunami giving dems the White House and large majorities in both halls of congress. Then we go to work here at the local level until we take this great country back from greedy PIGS! Get with the program or we'll do it for ya. "

 Principle of the thing wrote on August 27, 2008 5:29 am:
" It's not the $1.20 increase, it's the principle of it all. A dollar here, a dollar there, helping son who was laid off...it adds up. The city, state, county can keep increasing their fees but our pay isn't...we don't have any more to give you. My health insurance in October is going sky high again. I figured I am netting $175 per month less due to increases but my pay is not going up. So people, it's not the complaining of only a $1.20 is the entire principle of how it is handled. We have to BUDGET and stay within our means but we can't when you keep increasing. "

 Mrs. Johnson wrote on August 27, 2008 8:01 am:
" My husband just finished a latrine and rain water collection trap. We're off the grid folks! I'm not going to like going out on those cold winter nights, but a person to do? "

 sick of THIS reasoning.... wrote on August 27, 2008 8:32 am:
" "Public Works business manager Margaret Remmenga said Lincoln’s rates still are lower than most communities, according to annual industry surveys."
===================================

If I was mayor of Lincoln this kind of reason given for raising rates in times of trouble would getcha dismissed.

And it would only take ONCE.

Every other city employee (that means they are paid by US to do a good job for US) would understand what a no-nonsense boss I am. Raising rates because other cities do it is insufficient.

If you see someone else playing in a busy street does that mean you should, too?

If I was boss, the employees would be wary of me and the citizens would LOVE me. "

 Read again slowly wrote on August 27, 2008 9:52 am:
" There were no rate increases from 1991-2001. Can you complainers honestly say you had no pay raises in that 10 year period? Did any of your costs go up during that 10 year period? How is government supposed to pay for increased costs without rate increases? If gas goes up for you by 20 percent don't you think it also goes up for governments? How can they cut their budgets by 20 percent to cover that type of increase?

You people expect so much from all government entities, but you expect them to somehow magically balance budgets. I can only laugh... "

 Chris wrote on August 27, 2008 8:55 pm:
" I'm not even going to read the comments, above mine, b/c I know it's all complaining.

Here's the bottom line. Energy costs of all kinds are rising. The dollar is falling in value. Inflation is rising. All these point to increased rates. Welcome to economic uncertainty. I realize it's been 30 years since the US economy had much uncertainty but it is here. To keep the same level of service, we will have to pay more for it. If you want to cut services, then elect officials with a platform of cutting services. If not, then you will have to make sacrifices in other areas to support the current level of service. Policy makers can do NOTHING about it. It is an economic reality. We will have to deal with it as a community, and complaining and demanding will have zero effect. That is all. "

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