Camp Verde Town Council unanimously approved an increase in wastewater fees at its regular meeting March 21.
Town Manager Russ Martin said residents can expect their wastewater bills to increase by about $5 per month starting in May, with a monthly increase of $10 by February. Some customers could see a more significant jump, as the town previously capped wastewater bills at $50 per month, but has stopped that practice.
The decision comes following a wastewater rate study Willdan Group and Economists.com conducted for the town, which recommended a rate
system for the next five years that includes the first increase starting Sunday, April 1.
The rate increase, in part, can help Camp Verde fund the repayment of a $2.5 million Water/Wastewater Infrastructure Finance Authority bond the town applied for. It will also help recoup costs of increasing use of the town’s wastewater treatment plant, rather than sending effluent to ponds, a practice Martin said is unsustainable.
A public hearing held before the vote saw two residents come forward to speak, both expressing their opposition to the rate increase. Their concerns included how residents on fixed incomes would pay for their bills, and one resident questioned why the town hasn’t made an agreement with the water company to share services.
To their concerns, council floated the possibility of creating a special rate for low-income residents; and while Martin said previous efforts to make an agreement with the water company did not work out, council holds a special session Wednesday, March 28, to discuss a franchise agreement with or potential to purchase the Camp Verde Water Co., according to the agenda.
The full wastewater rate study, with the recommended rates, is available on the Town of Camp Verde’s website.
In Other Business
At the top of the meeting, council approved Earth Resources Corporation’s $2,067,863 bid for Phase I of construction of the Camp Verde Sports Complex.
Mayor Charlie German abstained, citing ongoing litigation he is involved in.
Council also discussed new names for the sports complex entrance road and the wastewater treatment plant road. Parks and Recreation manager Michael Marshall presented Champion Way for the sports complex road and Honey Wagon Trail for the wastewater treatment plant road.
While a motion to approve those names failed, council suggested enlisting the help of elementary school students for suggestions.
Rebekah Wahlberg can be reached at 282-7795 ext. 117, or email rwahlberg@larsonnewspapers.com
