Friday, October 8, 2004

Ketchum hikes sewer rates 15 percent


By GREGORY FOLEY
Express Staff Writer

Ketchum City Council members last week formally enacted a plan to increase the city?s wastewater treatment rates by approximately 15 percent.

In a special meeting Wednesday, Sept. 29, council members voted 4-0 to implement the rate hike, which was approved by voters last February. The approval came as part of a bond election designed to provide financing for a set of large-scale improvements to the city?s wastewater treatment facilities.

Steve Hansen, Ketchum utilities manager, said Tuesday that the approved rate increase will essentially boost the bills of all sewer customers in Ketchum by 15.4 percent.

Most residential customers will see their bills rise from $13 per month to $15 per month, he said.

The increased rates will be seen on sewer bills that are scheduled for mailing this week, Hansen noted.

The rate hike is expected to bring in approximately $113,000 annually, which will be added to other funds to pay for sewer-plant improvements, Hansen said.

With the rate increase, Ketchum still provides sewer services for less than other cities in the Wood River Valley, city officials said.

Ketchum and Sun Valley voters participated in a special bond election Feb. 3 to determine if their cities should proceed with a proposed $7.4 million upgrade of their jointly owned wastewater treatment plant.

The wastewater treatment plant, located south of Ketchum on River Ranch Road, is under cooperative ownership by the city of Ketchum and the Sun Valley Water and Sewer District.

Voters overwhelmingly approved the proposed bond measure.




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