NEWS: Trustees set rates for 2017-2021, move to monthly billing also new January 1
Posted by Jared Shepherd
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- August 4th, 2016
- in Miscellaneous
- 4 Comments
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| Construction underway at the Easterly Treatment Plant. |
Annual increase of 8.3%, average bill increases by about $4 per month beginning in 2017
Today, the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District’s Board of Trustees unanimously adopted the 2017 through 2021 rate schedule effective January 1, 2017.
Beginning January 1, the Sewer District also moves to monthly billing for sewer rates for Cleveland Water customers. The move is based on its billing agent Cleveland Water making its transition away from quarterly billing. All non-Cleveland Water customers will continue to be billed quarterly.
Projected monthly average residential bills from 2017 through 2021—based on our customers’ average water consumption of 4,675 gallons per month—for Subdistrict 1 (Cleveland) and Subdistrict 2 (suburbs) can be found online.
Sewer District rates are set every five years following a comprehensive study of anticipated expenditures. Officials thoroughly analyze a variety of factors, including:
- Planned infrastructure investment projects
- Maintenance and repair of existing sewers
- Increased capacity at wastewater treatment facilities
- Other construction projects including Project Clean Lake’s federally mandated construction
- Anticipated increases in chemical and energy costs
- Existing and future debt service requirements
Two other components of the rate increase include the creation of a Member Community Infrastructure Program which would assist the Sewer District’s 62 member communities with local sewer infrastructure issues; and an increase in eligible customers’ participation in the Sewer District’s affordability programs from 50% to 80% over the rate schedule period.
The fees for the Regional Stormwater Management Program per ERU (Equivalent Residential Unit) will not change during this rate cycle.
Comments ( 4 )
This rate increase is ridiculous. Every time I turn around there is a sorry reason to raise rates. Our salaries are not going up but the sewer rates are steady climbing. How can Trustees vote on our rate increases? Who are these people anyway?? Why can't the rate increase be placed on a ballot like tax increases. This increase is unfair and uncalled for.
Before 2013 our Sewer & Water bills were combined to save money. After dramatically increasing rates we have a huge new water fountain in the lobby, all kinds of advertising, and separated bills again. And now the billing will be separate and Monthly because they believe we are to stupid to notice we are being gouged.
More big government bureaucracy run a muck !
When the billing goes monthly and the poor Cleveland consumer doesn't pay on time, what's the late fee going to be. Just another way to soak us. lol
The rates are insane – $100 per mcf! And you know this isn’t temporary to comply with the consent decree – the rates will never go back to where they were.