Penhold residents can expect to see a rise in their utility bills starting March 1 after council voted to increase rates by 10 per cent.
ìOne of the town improvements in the 2014 budget is an upgraded water treatment and pumping station that will improve water pressure and quality in Penhold,î said Mayor Dennis Cooper at a council meeting on Jan. 27. ìWe had tentatively pegged it for $775,000 in the budget we passed last meeting.î
Sewer and water rates will increase an average of 10 per cent with individual amounts varying from no increase to a 16 per cent increase. A breakdown of the increase brings residential water charges per cubic metre from $1.20 to $1.32, the fixed water charge from $6 to $7, sewer cubic metre from $2.40 to $2.64, and the fixed sewer charge from $8 to $9. Garbage rates will stay the same at $21.
ìEven with the increases in rates, Penhold will still be the second lowest of the six municipalities that are part of the Red Deer regional sewer commission,î said Cooper.
There was also discussion on the industrial/commercial rates with Cooper pointing out that lumping them together with multi-family on rate listings was potentially unfair to owners of smaller businesses and companies.
ìIf we look at the school the rates for meters is presently $12, but yet a school with 500 students will use many more times the water than a home with four people who pay $6 for a meter,î said Cooper. ìThere should be recognition that institutions and larger companies are more water intensive users.î
He also noted that the institutional/commercial/multi-family charge per cube was the same as residential and it should also reflect higher rates than the 10 per cent increase from $1.20 to $1.32.
A secondary motion was passed to study the town's industrial/commercial rates in comparison to other regional communities and the separation of industrial/commercial from multi-family on the rate charts. Once complete, a recommendation from administration will be presented to amend the rates to be more in line with the findings.
Further information on the rate increase can be found on town utility bills or at www.townofpenhold.ca
