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Thursday, May 22, 2008 |
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Water, sewer hikes coming |
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Written by Citizen staff
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Sunday, 11 May 2008 |
Increases are looming for the city's water and sewer rates.
City council will consider proposals Monday night to increase the rates charged for water by five per cent effective July 1 and a further five per cent effective Jan. 1, 2009. The rate charged for sewer, meanwhile, is proposed to rise 2.25 per cent by July 1.
A single-family home currently pays $202.32 a year for water and it and rise to $223.06 once both increases are in place at the start of 2009.
For the sewer utility, single family homes currently pay $195.72 a year. With the increase, the charge for July to December will add up to $100.06 and for all of 2009, it will be $200.12.
The hikes to the water rates are designed to rebuild the surplus for that utility back to 25 per cent of the yearly operating expenditures.
The water utility surplus is currently at seven per cent after $1 million was taken out to cover debt payments for the Hart-Nechako water supply improvement, the 15th Avenue to Ferry Avenue water main and the Cranbrook Hill reservoir projects.
Debt payments rose to $2.75 million in 2008 from $1.29 million in 2005.
The surplus for the sewer utility currently stands at 31 per cent and will rise to 60 per cent by 2012 with the increase according to a forecast.
A survey of residential water rates for 26 Canadian cities puts Prince George's at fourth lowest and one for residential sewer rates for 12 Canadian cities puts Prince George's at third lowest.
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A request to waive the requirement for storm sewer connections at 4118 and 4032 Hart Highway will be considered.
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University of Northern British Columbia is seeking council's support to move its liquor primary location from the conference centre to the Northern Sport Centre where a 125 seat pub would be opened.
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A public hearings will be held an applications to expand a commercial development at 5920 O'Grady Rd. to include a sporting goods store and future commercial development.
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Nicholas Sims will seek council's support to hold an "artists in the park" event at the Fort George Park bandshell.
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In addition to increases in the water and sewer rates, council will consider three other recommendations from the finance and audit committee:
- set a rate of $9.50 tandem trucks and $19 for end dumps and truck-pup loads for use of the Guay Road snow dump.
- to charge households and small businesses on water meters $14.71 every two months plus a rate based on their consumption.
- to transfer the $850,000 of debt remaining on the $1.2-million mausoleum project to an endowment reserve from debenture debt to save on interest costs and allow the city to speed up payments depending on the sales of crypts and niches.
To date, 23 per cent of the crypts and four per cent of the niches have been sold and net sales added up to $292,540 in 2006 and $56,220 in 2007.
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City council will be given an update on provincial legislation that could tie becoming "carbon neutral" by 2012 to future funding opportunities and to give municipalities some tools to reach that goal.
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 11 May 2008 )
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