When it rains it pours.
A number of sewer-related events led the Clarkston City Council last Monday to approve a 70 percent sewer rate hike.
Residents will see the increase when quarterly bills arrive in May.
Currently, homes and businesses within the City of the Village of Clarkston pay sewer costs billed at $57 per residential equivalency unit (REU). The new billing will bump that number to $97.
‘It’s unfortunate the new billing has to be increased this much,? said Clarkston Mayor Stephen Arkwright. ‘But several factors play into this.?
While owned by the city, Clarkston’s sewers are maintained by Independence Township. For the past 28 years, Clarkston residents have paid the same quarterly rate for sewer upkeep, as no provisions for future increase were put in the original contract.
Meanwhile, however, Independence Township residents? sewer rates increase on a fairly regular basis.
‘We’re increasing our bills dramatically because we’ve been at a low rate for so long and we have to pay catch-up with the township,? Arkwright said.
Talks between the city and township have been ongoing for several years, and it was agreed an increase would go into effect July 1, 2007.
Clarkston officials weren’t sure why billing didn’t increase at that time, and Independence Township DPW Director Linda Richardson did not immediately return a call for comment.
The city still owes retroactive payments to the township from that date, and is currently about $52,000 in arrears.
In addition to maintenance costs owed to the township, officials are worried about the recent expense incurred by a line break on W. Washington, which cost the city an estimated $72,645 to repair.
‘We’ve obviously depleted our sewer fund dramatically in the past three months,? Arkwright said. ‘We talked about ‘do we go at a slower rate to build the fund back up?? I think we considered that a little dangerous, if we have another project like we have now.?
The W. Washington project dropped the city’s sewer fund reserve balance from $237,634 to $164,989, based on final billing estimates.
‘That was probably a small project; many of the sewers are old,? Arkwright said. ‘It’s important to build the fund back up as quick as we can, as you can see by this one little incident; if we get a major break we’d have to levy up a special assessment.?
Between the uncertainty of an old sewer system and the likelihood of incremental increases from the township, Arkwright said he wanted to make sure the new rate would carry the city through the next several years.
‘We wanted to pick a high enough number so we didn’t have to come back (to residents and businesses),? he said. ‘We didn’t want to hit them now for $85, then for $95, then have it go up to $110. It seems like slow torture to do it that way. We tried to pick a number we could live with for a while.?
In about 10 quarters’about two-and-a-half-years’he noted, retroactive payments to the township will be finished and the sewer fund will be built back up.
Councilman Cory Johnston asked if Arkwright foresaw a lowering of rates at that time.
‘We don’t want to commit to anything until we know what that time will bring,? Arkwright said. ‘We know the City of Detroit is increasing costs dramatically; we know our costs are going to go up. I think that’s a decision the council needs to make at that time. Would we like to see that happen? Yes, but I don’t know if we can commit.?
Arkwright, Johnston, Mayor pro-tem Kristy Ottman and Councilwoman Peg Roth approved the measure, while Councilman Charles Inabnit voted against.
‘This is going to hit some people really hard,? Inabnit said.
Councilmen Jim Brueck and Mike Gawronski were absent.