The Jefferson city council at its May 13 meeting increased water and sewer rates 3 percent each. Revenue from the increased rates was factored into the 2014-15 budget approved by the city council in March. The rate increase will be effective July 1.
The water rate change increases the minimum monthly bill for the first 1000 gallons (134 cubic feet) of water by 28 cents each month. The charge for each 1000 gallons in addition to the minimum will increase 18 cents.
The sewer rate will increase the minimum monthly bill by 33 cents plus an additional 2 cents per 750 gallons (100 cubic feet) of water used.
City administrator Mike Palmer said the rate changes will increase the monthly water bill about 77 cents a month for a single-user household, or about $3 a month for a household of four. The portion of the bill for sewer will increase about $1.10 a month for a single-user household or about $3 a month for a household of four.
Jefferson residents’ monthly bill also includes garbage, landfill and recycling charges. Those charges are not increasing at this time. A single-user household can look for an increase in the bill due Aug. 15 of less than $2. A household of four can look for an increase of about $6.
Planning and zoning commission OKs bees: Building and zoning officer Tom Heater reported to the council that the planning and zoning commission has met with Cail Calder and will recommend to the council that ordinances be amended to allow beekeeping in the city limits. City attorney Bob Schwarzkopf will have the amendments ready for the May 27 meeting. The Jefferson ordinance will be patterned after the Scranton ordinance that allows beekeeping. That ordinance specifies that hives must be inside a locked, fenced in area.
Calder does business as Bee Mindful. He has hives in Scranton and many Greene county rural locations. He proposes placing hives south of Greene County High School and on N. Cedar St. in Jefferson.
Local option sales and service tax: City clerk Diane Kennedy told the council of a letter she received Tuesday from Greene County commissioner of elections Billie Hoskins about placing renewal of the current 1-cent local option sales and services tax (LOSST) on the Nov. 4 general election ballot. (See related story elsewhere in GreeneCountyNewsOnline.) The agenda for the council’s May 27 meeting will include a resolution to that effect.
Kennedy explained to the council that any change in the revenue purpose statement must be made by the council prior to Aug. 27. The current revenue purpose statement limits use of the city’s LOSST funds to improvements to water and sewer infrastructure. The LOSST generates about $330,000 in annual revenue for the city. Kennedy suggests expanding the purpose to include improvements to city buildings. “It has worked out wonderful,” Kennedy said about the LOSST. “There are a lot of things done that we would not have been able to do without that.”
“We’ve been good stewards of it. We’re not holding on to a big balance in that fund, and that’s how it should be,” she added.
“The city has a lot to show for it,” Palmer said.
Budget amendment: The city council set May 27 at 5:30 pm for a public hearing on an amendment of the current fiscal year budget. More information about the amendment will be posted in the May 21 GreeneCountyNewsOnline. To see the public notice, click here: http://greenecountynewsonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Jeff-budget-amendment.pdf
