Anticipated sewer rate increases of 18 percent in the City of Greenville are being sent to the Public Service commission for approval.
The Greenville City Council approve a proposed rate increase for submission at Tuesday’s meeting. If the commission approves, the rates will be adopted by the council later this year.
Though budget sessions are still months away for the city, the Public Service Commission must approve rate changes before they take effect.
“The main reason it is done this early is because the Public Service Commission meets in June, and we know we have the EPA decree, which requires us to fix infrastructure,” said Steve Osso, the city’s external financial consultant.
“As part of that, we have agreed to implement to apply rate increases to cover the cost of the repairs,” Osso said. “I have a 10-year chart to help us with the debt we are incurring.”
Osso said the city is in year five of the chart to keep “the EPA happy.”
This year’s increase, if approved, will raise rates by 18 percent to defray the cost of fixing infrastructure.
“After their approval, we will add it during the budget session,” Osso said.
The anticipated effective date of the proposed increase is Oct. 1.
Mayor Errick D. Simmons said the rate increase will aid the city in repaying State Revolving Fund Loans, which are used to pay for the sewer repairs mandated by the EPA.
Councilman Al Brock said the action is necessary but hard to swallow.
“All though we don’t want to do it and don’t like to it, we have an obligation we can not get out of,” Brock said, noting the rate increases have been spread out over many years to ease the burden on residents.
“We want to do this as painlessly as possibly. Reluctantly, I move to approve the increase,” Brock said.
Councilwoman Tash Banks agreed with Brocks comments and seconded his motion, with was approved by all council members present at the meeting.
Simmons said infrastructure issues are present on many levels.
“We are looking at the infrastructure around city and we are not just talking about whats on the surface,” Simmons said. “It is the sanitary sewer system and grit chamber and force main. These require bold steps. We need this done for our children and grandchildren. Ten years from now, we will hopefully be seeing better sewer and roads in the city.”
