Homeowners have a couple of days left before they end up paying even more on their utility bill.
Payment for the first six months of 2014 is due on April 4, for those who are not metered. Any payment received after that date is subject to a 10 per cent penalty.
This year marks the second of a five-year plan that includes increased water and sewer utility rates, as approved by council in 2012.
A 2012 finance and audit committee report indicates the city would need to invest $7.7 million by 2017 to address the sewer capital infrastructure funding gap. To reach that, the city needed to increase revenue to the sewer utility by 19 per cent in 2013 and 2014 and an 18 per cent in 2015. Annual increases would come in at three per cent for the remainder of the five-year plan.
To reach a projected capital investment requirement of $9.8 million per year by 2017, the city needs to increase water utility revenue by 16 per cent in 2013 and 15 per cent in 2014 and 2015 and three per cent in the remaining two years.
For a single family residence, that means an increase of $56.63 for water and $60.24 for sewer. Fees for strata residences went up $42.24 and $44.88 for water and sewer, respectively.
There is no increase to solid waste fees (garbage containers of all sizes) due to the city closing the Quinn Street transfer station and transferring operation of the Vanway transfer station to the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George.
