A nearly 50 percent increase to the monthly bill residents pay for Greenwood sewer service got its first approval, but questions remain about how money from the increase will be spent.
The council is considering raising sewer fees by 49 percent from 2017 to 2020. The average customer pays $32 dollars a month now. That average bill would increase to $36 in 2017 and rise to $48 by 2020 under the proposed rate changes.
The council approved the rate increase 8-1, with council member Chuck Landon voting in opposition. A final vote is set for the next council meeting Nov. 21.
Money raised from the increase will be used to fund nearly $80 million in projects including a $62.2 million, 10-mile sewer pipeline and a $7.5 million public works building.
Greenwood officials said the western regional interceptor pipeline is necessary to alleviate overflows of the undersized sewer system, comply with Indiana Department of Environment Management regulations and be prepared for future residential and commercial development.
The new public works building would house the sanitation, parks and recreation, street and stormwater departments, along with the city’s fleet of vehicle. Current facilities total about 150,000 square feet and are undersized, which means some vehicles and equipment must be kept outside, increasing maintenance costs and reducing their lifespan, city officials said.
But specifics for the project are lacking, Landon said.
Landon didn’t question the need for the new building but said he wanted to get more details about it, such as how big the building would be and what the price per square foot is for the project.
City officials said they don’t know where the new building will be located or how large it will be. The projected cost — $7.5 million — was labeled as a placeholder on the lower side of the scale by McLaughlin.
In September, McLaughlin requested blueprints from the Greenwood VFW Post 5863 building located off of Main Street near the Greenwood Police Department and city court. The city owns land nearby and was looking into the possibility of purchasing the VFW property to make room for the new public works building at that location. The idea is preliminary and no decisions have been made regarding the VFW building, McLaughlin said.
The cost estimate was based on other facilities and recent projects, project manager Kevin Steinmetz said.
Council member Ron Bates said he trusts the city administration to handle the project appropriately, but Landon questioned why more details weren’t available before the city council was asked to approve the rate increases.
If the rate increases were approved, it would give the city the certainty to go forward with the next steps for the new public works building, which would include a site selection process and more detailed planning, said former controller Adam Stone, who is serving as a consultant for the city.
Landon also proposed adjusting the rates so that senior citizens, many who are on a limited income, would receive a 10 percent discount, but that proposal was defeated 8-1.
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Here is a look at how the average sewer bill would increase over the next few years under the city’s proposal:
Year;monthly charge
Current;$32.33
2017;$36.54
2018;$40.75
2019;$44.96
2020;$48.17
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