JAY – A rate increase of nearly 11 percent for North Jay Water District customers will go into effect July 1, if nobody asks the Public Utility to investigate the need for the increase further by March 15.
A water district customer had called the Public Utility Commission advocate this week to find how to get a petition going, advocate Bill Black said Tuesday.
A resident confirmed Thursday that a petition would be circulated.
The increase would bring a residential customer’s base rate up $6 to about $66.10 for the first 1,000 cubic feet of water or about 750 gallons.
The increase follows a 33.4 percent increase in 2004.
The district held a hearing Wednesday night on the proposed hike, and three residents outside the trustees and others connected to the Water District showed up and asked questions, Water District Superintendent Richard Jackson said Thursday.
“It went rather well,” he said.
There was a lot of discussion about the need and what customers would like to see in the future, he said.
Though the rate was expected to go into effect April 1, Jackson said, they are trying to put off implementing it until July to keep the district in line with the town fiscal year.
Sewer user fees are dependent on meter readings from the Water District and the fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30.
The proposed rate hike for all customers including commercial and public fire protection, would give the district an overall increase of $13,677.
Over the last couple years, the district has had a “huge amount of problems” including several unanticipated breaks in water lines that needed to be repaired, Jackson said.
Labor costs and repairs have also contributed to higher operating costs.
Jackson said he doesn’t see anything at this time that would require another rate hike in the near future.
“We’re trying to maintain what we have,” Jackson said.
The district has been looking at applying for grants, he said, but they’ve always had a problem with that because of the average wage in Jay.
“We’re going to try to do things better rather than have another rate hike,” he said.
Jackson did note that if customers wish to opposed the increase they have 30 days to get a petition with the signatures of 15 percent of the total customers and submit it. There are about 259 customers in the district.
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