Cheney sewer hook-up fees to rise

CHENEY – After almost two months of discussion, the Cheney City Council voted to approve raising new sewer hook-up fees from $808 to $4,830.

There was little discussion at its meeting Tuesday night to approve the increase. Several council members said they felt the only opposition to the increase was from builders.

The fees will help offset the cost of the $12 million wastewater treatment plant expansion which should begin later this year.

Another proposal to offset the project cost is to raise sewer fees by 3 percent.

At the last meeting, the council approved the first reading of a city ordinance that would raise sewer rates by 3 percent, but members amended the ordinance to a 6 percent increase for Eastern Washington University in 2008 and a 4 percent increase from 2009 through 2013.

City attorney Stan Schwartz reviewed the EWU rate increases and said it could haunt the city in the future.

He said that by state law, the city must establish rates that reasonably relate to cost and service. If the council feels that it was reasonable to establish the rates of EWU higher than what the consultant recommended, Schwartz suggested the council establish for the record its rationale after the vote.

He strongly suggested that council raise Eastern’s sewer rates to 3 percent, the figure consultants at HDR Engineering recommended.

“I want to make sure you are operating somewhat in the statute,” Schwarz said.

Council member Curt Huff was concerned that the growth of EWU had jumped by 27 percent in the last few years. He said that if the school is growing at such a rate it should be paying more to offset the costs of the treatment plant.

Don MacDonald, director of public works, pointed out the school isn’t the sole reason the city is in need of a treatment plant expansion. The city has been growing as well.

Council member Tom Trulove mentioned that in the past the school contributed to the cost to build treatment plants and benefited from that.

There was talk about whether the city should approach EWU about contributing to the capital funds for this expansion before the next meeting, but that idea was dismissed since there wouldn’t be much time to prepare a proposal to the school.

The council decided to hear the reading of the original ordinance – a 3 percent rate increase across the board – and discuss this topic again at its next meeting.

In other business, the council discussed plans for May Fest and the Summer Concert series.

The council approved funds for two performers at May Fest and five performers for the Summer Concert series and approved the use of city property at these events.

The next Cheney City Council meeting is April 8.