BICKNELL - City council members here approved an ordinance to increase the water rate by nearly 50 percent at their meeting Monday with a 4 to 1 vote. Steve Sandefer voted no.

Several in attendance spoke at the meeting and said they didn't oppose an increase, but they thought the proposed 50 percent rate hike was exorbitant.

Ron Ackman asked the council not to increase the rates, arguing that it would cause residents to move out of town. He asked the council to consider a minimum fee, even for vacant homes, and to decrease the $750 fee for a 3⁄4 inch water tap.

Clerk-treasurer Rita Dupire said Frank Gugliotta's report to the council that the water department begins each month with a $12,000 loan payment wasn't exactly accurate.

"The bond payment is based on a percentage and last month that amount was $7,900 - not $12,000," she said. "That

extra $4,000 will go toward the emergency and maintenance funds, but an increase of $5.50 per 1,000 gallons would fully fund the water department."

The proposed increase is from $10.10 for 2,500 gallons to $18.75 and instead of $3.46 per 1,000 gallons after that to $7.50 per 1,000 gallons.

"I think $7.50 is too high," he said. "I'm not opposed to an increase but I was elected to represent the people and do what in my heart I feel is right and that is just too much (money) to ask for."

John Coyle said he also felt like the increase was too much.

"It hurts people on fixed incomes," he said. "People can't afford it. I can't afford it - I'm looking at other places so I can get the hell out of here."

Gugliotta said the rate increase was an effort to avoid the situation the city faced with its sewage system. The Indiana Department of Environmental Management mandated that the city renovate their wastewater treatment plant or face expensive fines.

"We are just trying to address the situation before the state comes in and mandates us to do something like they did with the sewer," he said. "We need to get our house in order before the state will even talk to us about grants, so this will help us with that as well."

Water Supt. Earl Horst said he really didn't know what else the city could do about the situation.

"I've worked here for four years and if it weren't for the efforts of the city loaning the (water) department money, we wouldn't be pumping water," he said. "When I first came here I was shocked by the condition of this water system. I work seven days a week and I don't know what to do. I don't want the rates to go up but I don't see a choice."

Horst said even with the increase, the new tap fees still didn't cover the expense of installing a new tap.

"I got some estimates and the materials came to $775 and that doesn't include labor," he said.

Horst says approximately $500,000 in repairs and maintenance work is needed on the city's water system and the only way to even try to pay for that work is to raise rates.

Horst said last week a water main broke on Washington Street and that three days of repairs added up to a cost of $7,800 - which was paid for by the city's Rainy Day Fund.

"We don't have any money in our funds for emergency repairs like this," he said. "My concern is something will happen with our wells or we'll have another emergency repair and there will be nothing we can do."

Council members approved the rate increase and stipulated that they wanted the committee that reviewed the water

rate information to continue to meet and report to the council biannually.

Article from Vincennes Sun Commercial
JENNIFER GORDON
staff writer