Cheney water and power go up

Budget presentations weren’t the only agenda items at Cheney’s City Council’s final meeting in November. They also did a bit of business.

The council unanimously adopted the city’s 2018 utility rates and fees — a move that increases power and water rates. Cheney’s residential power customers will see their base rate increase from $14.10 to $16.43, while residential water users’ base rate climbs from $8.26 to $10.

The water usage rate increases to $1.40 per 100 cubic feet from $1.05 and $24 per 1,000 cubic feet, up from $18.76.

The increase in electrical power’s base rate is in response to a 6.3 percent increase to Cheney from the Bonneville Power Administration. The water rate increase is designed to deal with infrastructure issues, the largest being a $1.8 million redrill of well No. 3.

During discussion, Councilman John Taves expressed concerns about the power increase in that it is loaded onto the base rate and not coming from usage rates. Cheney’s usage rate remains at 6 cents per kilowatt hour.

“Everybody pays the same whether they can afford it or not,” Taves said. “I’m not comfortable with that.”

Light Department Director Steve Boorman said the usage costs also include delivery fees from BPA, and that the intent was to strike some balance between all users. Taves responded that he was looking at it as a way to use usage charges to encourage power conservation.

Taves also said a constituent had approached him about extending the Clean Green yard waste pick up from April to November instead of April to October. Public Works Director Todd Ableman said residents can set their cart out after October and the city would pick it up for an extra $3 charge.

The council also passed the city’s general tax levy ordinance, agreeing to Finance Director Cindy Niemeier’s request to hold all three readings and final passage at the Nov. 28 meeting. The ordinance needed to be filed with the Spokane County Assessor’s Office on Nov. 30.

The measure sets the 2018 general fund tax levy collection amount at $1,939,900, an amount which includes the levy lid lift approved by voters in 2015. The levy amount collected in 2017 had been set at $1,770,504.

Council also held all three readings and final passage of the city’s emergency services levy, with the collection amount set at $283,600. This is the sixth and final year of the levy, meaning if residents wished to continue EMS funding they would need to approve another levy next year.

Finally, the council held the first reading on the city’s 2018 budget ordinance. The almost $30.79 million budget breaks down into just over $12.878 million for the governmental fund, almost $9.685 million for the light, $3.396 million for water, $1.606 million for solid waste and almost $3.223 million for sewer.

The budget reflects a constant increase since a low of just under $25 million in 2014, but not as high as the over $35 million spent in 2009. Niemeier said that amount was inflated due to the replacement of the Wren Pierson Community Center, damaged in the 2008 snowstorm.

The 2018 budget is a steep jump from this year’s $26.34 million figure, but made so because of allocation of money to purchase a new main fire attack engine and money to deal with water supply needs.

“This is a big year for us,” Niemeier said. “It’s not the biggest though.”

In staff reports, Ableman told the council the city is a recipient of a $401,800 Transportation Improvement Board grant for arterial work on Betz Road from North Sixth Street to the intersection of Betz and Washington Street. The grant pays for 90 percent of the work, which will take place in 2018.

Council adopts 2018 amended budget

Cheney’s City Council adopted the 2018 budget at their Dec. 12 meeting. The final budget is $31,189,600, which included $401,800 in recently awarded TIB grant funding.

John McCallum can be reached at [email protected].