Bellefontaine’s leaders should hold off raising utility rates until they are sure the new rates will cover the costs of replacing its aging and faltering water mains, city resident Tom Reynolds said at Tuesday’s meeting.
“You’re getting into my wheelhouse when you start talking about water and hydraulics,” he said prior to the City Council’s vote on a rate increase ordinance for water and sewer customers.
“You’re correct you’re not getting enough money from your customers. It’s not a question of whether or not to raise your rates; it’s how much to raise the rates.
“Right now, you have no idea how much you need because you have no idea how big a problem you have.”
Mr. Reynolds, who has a consulting firm with expertise in systems for moving fluids, said the city needs a professional outside survey of the entire water system to develop a replacement plan and institute a maintenance program.
The rate ordinance comes after months of work by the Utilities Committee and just weeks after a major main break on Lake Avenue forced a citywide boil alert.
“It’s obvious we have an aging infrastructure,” committee chairman Zeb Wagner said. “We wanted to responsibly address the issues … and find a (rate) plan that made sense and that was fair.”
Read complete story in Wednesday’s Examiner.
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