Council delays decision on hikes for water, sewer

Dan Kulin

Thursday, June 19, 2003 | 9:52 a.m.

The North Las Vegas City Council agreed Wednesday to postpone a decision on water and sewer rate increases until August after the city manager suggested the council give a citizens advisory board more time to review the proposed rate hikes.

The council is now scheduled to hold public hearings and possibly vote on water and sewer rate increases on Aug. 6.

City staff are proposing rate increases in each of the next three Septembers, which would almost double the average customer's monthly bill as of September 2005. The average water and sewer customer's monthly bill, which is now $37.32, would go to $49.99 as of Sept. 1; $60.69 a year later; and $71.80 in September 2005.

The city Utility Advisory Board is reviewing staff proposals, and has recommended the council reject the proposed water rate hikes but adopt the proposed shifts in water-rate tiers, which would lower the water-use thresholds for each tier. Under the tier-rate system there are higher per-gallon charges in the higher tiers, which means most customers would see higher bills if the tiers are shifted.

Exactly how much higher hasn't been determined, but Leslie Long, environmental services manager for the city Public Works Department, has said the impact to the average customer would probably be minimal.

The Utility Advisory Board has not weighed in on the staff-proposed sewer rate hikes yet. The board is scheduled to meet again on June 26.

"I think it would behoove us to give them a little more time," City Manager Kurt Fritsch said.

The council then voted 4-0 to postpone action on the water and sewer rates. Mayor Michael Montandon did not attend the Wednesday meeting as he is still recovering from surgery to remove a noncancerous brain tumor.

The staff-proposed rate increases are primarily being done to offset projected water and sewer budget shortfalls. Water rates were last raised seven years ago and sewer rates haven't been raised for 10 years.

During the public comments portion of the Wednesday council meeting, a few residents complained that the proposed rate increases would be too much of a financial burden for some.

Councilwoman Shari Buck said the council is very concerned about the impact of rate increases on residents, and noted that the rate increases still have not been approved.

North Las Vegas has about 52,000 water customers -- roughly 47,000 of which are residential accounts -- in the city and in Sunrise Manor, a residential development east of the city line.

The city sewer system has about 36,000 customers, including about 34,700 households. All city sewer customers are within the city limits.

The other water suppliers in the Las Vegas Valley, the Las Vegas valley Water District and Henderson, are also looking at possible water rate increases this year.

The Henderson City Council and the Clark County commissioners, who act as the directors of the Water District, are both expected to hear and possibly vote on proposed water rate increases on July 15.