Spring Break
Water, sewer rates put on review for city
Stephen Di Benedetto / Staff Reporter
Issue date: 4/8/09 Section: News
The public will have a chance to review the proposed increases to water and sewer rates after the City Council opted to put the measure on file for public inspection Tuesday night.
The council also authorized the use of $300,000 of federal stimulus money given to Charleston for street repairs.
Monthly water and sewer rates could again increase for residents 7 percent next fiscal year. The current rate is $9.96 for 1,000 gallons or less, $9.96 per 1,000 gallons for the next 9,000 gallons used, and $9.58 per 1,000 gallons for more than 10,000 gallons used.
If the proposal is approved, rates would increase to $10.65, $10.65 and $10.25, respectively.
The council will vote on the increases at its next meeting, April 21.
Mayor John Inyart said the increase in rates is needed because of ongoing upgrades to Charleston's Water Treatment Plant.
The city received a loan from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to pay for the upgrades. Inyart said repayment on the loan starts in fiscal year 2012 - two years from now.
He said initial estimates for the first payment is around $500,000, and the loan's payback period is 20 years.
In the past, water and sewer rates have increased 11 and 9 percent. Inyart said for the longest time, the city did not increase the rate for 18 straight years.
Inyart said he anticipates the rate not to increase as much next year and subsequent years.
The federal stimulus money the council approved will go toward renovations to University Avenue, Division Street, Fourth Street, Ninth Street and a part of West Polk Avenue.
Inyart said the council would use the other $300,000 of federal stimulus money given to Charleston for similar projects in the coming future.
The council also unanimously approved Tax Increment Finance grants to the Mother's Bar building, 506-510 Monroe Ave., and the Charleston Transitional Facility buildings, 519-521 Seventh St.
The owners of Mother's Bar will receive $35,000 for roof, façade and brick repairs. The owners of the facility buildings will receive $29,400 for similar repairs.
In other business, the council authorized a $62,500 settlement with its former insurance carrier, Selective Insurance, regarding a lawsuit.
Mary Brumleve sued the city and a former Charleston police officer in connection with a 2005 car accident that killed her husband, Ralph Brumleve.
The suit alleged the officer could have prevented the accident after he met with the driver before the accident. The driver was intoxicated at the time of the accident.
The council also unanimously approved the following agenda items:
- A petition for re-zoning of the Meadows apartment complexes on Jackson and Madison avenues from a commercial to limited multifamily dwelling use.
- A modification to The Fields planned unit development to allow for three, one-story buildings, each containing five apartments, instead of two, one-and-a-half story buildings that contained eight units each.
Stephen Di Benedetto can be reached at 581-7942 or at sdibenedetto@eiu.edu.
The council also authorized the use of $300,000 of federal stimulus money given to Charleston for street repairs.
Monthly water and sewer rates could again increase for residents 7 percent next fiscal year. The current rate is $9.96 for 1,000 gallons or less, $9.96 per 1,000 gallons for the next 9,000 gallons used, and $9.58 per 1,000 gallons for more than 10,000 gallons used.
If the proposal is approved, rates would increase to $10.65, $10.65 and $10.25, respectively.
The council will vote on the increases at its next meeting, April 21.
Mayor John Inyart said the increase in rates is needed because of ongoing upgrades to Charleston's Water Treatment Plant.
The city received a loan from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to pay for the upgrades. Inyart said repayment on the loan starts in fiscal year 2012 - two years from now.
He said initial estimates for the first payment is around $500,000, and the loan's payback period is 20 years.
In the past, water and sewer rates have increased 11 and 9 percent. Inyart said for the longest time, the city did not increase the rate for 18 straight years.
Inyart said he anticipates the rate not to increase as much next year and subsequent years.
The federal stimulus money the council approved will go toward renovations to University Avenue, Division Street, Fourth Street, Ninth Street and a part of West Polk Avenue.
Inyart said the council would use the other $300,000 of federal stimulus money given to Charleston for similar projects in the coming future.
The council also unanimously approved Tax Increment Finance grants to the Mother's Bar building, 506-510 Monroe Ave., and the Charleston Transitional Facility buildings, 519-521 Seventh St.
The owners of Mother's Bar will receive $35,000 for roof, façade and brick repairs. The owners of the facility buildings will receive $29,400 for similar repairs.
In other business, the council authorized a $62,500 settlement with its former insurance carrier, Selective Insurance, regarding a lawsuit.
Mary Brumleve sued the city and a former Charleston police officer in connection with a 2005 car accident that killed her husband, Ralph Brumleve.
The suit alleged the officer could have prevented the accident after he met with the driver before the accident. The driver was intoxicated at the time of the accident.
The council also unanimously approved the following agenda items:
- A petition for re-zoning of the Meadows apartment complexes on Jackson and Madison avenues from a commercial to limited multifamily dwelling use.
- A modification to The Fields planned unit development to allow for three, one-story buildings, each containing five apartments, instead of two, one-and-a-half story buildings that contained eight units each.
Stephen Di Benedetto can be reached at 581-7942 or at sdibenedetto@eiu.edu.
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