Hubbard officials weigh rate rise

Rates likely won’t be raised till March, a councilman said.

By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.

VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF

HUBBARD — Residents receiving utility services from the city should be prepared to pay a little more for those services in the new year.

Mayor Arthur Magee said the city administration and council are looking at increasing water, sewer and electric rates in 2008. He said the current rates have not been increased in 18 years.

Councilman William Williams said any increases at this point are still in the planning stages.

“Right now we are just looking at increasing rates in water and sewer. They haven’t been changed at all. What we have now is just a recommendation,” he said. “I don’t want people thinking this is set in stone because it’s not.”

Magee and Williams both said they could not give an amount for any increase until it has been discussed in further detail.

Williams, who serves on council’s utilities committee, said the increase is needed because costs to the city have risen without those costs being passed onto consumers. He said the rates likely will not be increased until sometime in March.

Magee said none of the money generated from the increases will be going for pay increases to employees. He said the city is looking to cover its cost and be competitive with rates offered by the private sector.

City officials have already approved a stormwater utility fee for customers beginning in January. Residential homeowners will see a monthly increase of $3; commercial and multifamily structures with more than 15 units, $6; industrial structures, $13; public property, $6; and vacant property, $3.

Williams said the utility fee will pay for water testing and repairs to the stormwater drainage system here. Also, this is separate from any rate increases that would be considered. Magee said upcoming repair projects will be similar to work recently done at Mattinat Park on Jones Street. He said that before repairs were made to the drainage system there, some people were getting backed-up water in their basements and the street in front of their homes.

“We are going to be very careful with this, taking water out of people’s basements and putting it in the storm sewer where it belongs. We are also going to build some storm sewers where there are none,” he said.

jgoodwin@vindy.com