Cheney debates sewer fee increase

CHENEY – The argument over sewer hook-up fees in Cheney continued Tuesday night, when the City Council heard from residents about whether to raise the fee from $808 to $4,830.

The Public Works Department recommends this fee increase to help offset costs of the expansion and reconstruction of the city’s wastewater treatment plant, which should begin later this year.

Developers were concerned at the last meeting that such a drastic increase would drive away new growth in the city. They urged the council to look into gradually increasing the fee over the next few years.

Shawn Koom of HDR Engineering said that an incremental increase could dip into the city’s reserve funds to subsidize the debt of the expansion of the wastewater treatment plant.

Many residents felt that this plan would benefit only the developers and could put the city’s reserve funds in jeopardy.

“If we do subsidize out of our reserves, how do we get that money back into the reserves,” one resident asked.

The large increase is based on what historically has been the growth of the city and an estimate of what new growth could be in the future, according to Don McDonald, director of public works.

The residents were concerned if future growth isn’t what is expected, the city would lose its reserve funds. Many felt that this was giving only developers a break and wouldn’t help the city.

“I think that people should be paying their share,” said another resident.

New hook-ups to the sewer system in Cheney have been at $808. Comparatively, that rate in Airway Heights is $5,389; Liberty Lake is $4,552; Spokane County is $3,635, as is Spokane Valley; Deer Park sewer hook-up fees are $3,080; and new hook-ups in the city of Spokane are $1,232.

Some real estate agents at the meeting said they feel the increase will hurt the city’s marketability to new developers.

“If we’re not for growth, we wouldn’t be expanding the wastewater treatment plant,” said Council member Tom Trulove.

The council seemed to agree that dipping into reserve funds to cover the costs of the wastewater treatment plant was not an acceptable solution.

“It’s too much of a gamble,” said Council member Annett Mather.

The council decided to continue the conversation at its next regular meeting, March 25.

In other council business Tuesday night:

• The council had its first reading of the plan to raise water rates by 3 percent across the board.

There had been some confusion about how much water was being used at the university in previous studies, but Koom of HDR Engineering said they have worked the bugs out of the study and have correct water usage rates in the studies now.

Residential customers should expect an 81-cent increase per month in their water rate; apartments and mobile homes, 74 cents; motels, 39 cents per unit a month; commercial buildings a $1.05 increase a month in fixed charges, and a 3 cent increase in volume charges. Eastern Washington University can expect an increase of $1,008.56.

“Three percent across the board is something we should always do,” said Trulove. He felt the increases were reasonable.

Councilmember Curt Huff, however, felt that the city should raise the water rates of EWU by 6 percent this year and 4 percent for the next five years.

The council decided to discuss this further at its next meeting.