CC Newsletter - 06/02/05 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Stormwater and Wastewater User Fee Rate Notification to be Distributed The annual notification of stormwater and wastewater customer service fees will be included in customers' utility bills beginning in June. The rate notification comes in the form of a brochure inserted into EWEB bills which informs customers of proposed rates and the purposes and uses of the City fees. The notification reflects a proposed 6% increase to regional wastewater (MWMC) fees, a 12% increase in local wastewater fees, and a 3.5% increase to stormwater fees. Copies of the rate notification brochure have been placed in the Council Office. Wastewater fees pay for operation, maintenance and capital projects associated with the wastewater collection and treatment systems. Wastewater is discharged from the plumbing fixtures of homes and businesses, flowing through sewer pipes to the Eugene/Springfield regional water pollution control facility where it is treated prior to discharge to the Willamette River. Stormwater fees pay for operation, maintenance and capital projects associated with the stormwater drainage system and fund programs to prevent stormwater pollution and improve water quality. Stormwater comes from rain and runoff from roofs, paved areas and other impervious surfaces and flows into drains, ditches, and eventually into streams and rivers without being treated. Stormwater fees are proposed to increase 3.5% beginning with bills issued on and after July 1,2005. The increase will allow continued funding of stormwater services consistent with the proposed FY06 budget. This is the second increase in stormwater rates since 1994. Customers in the Small Residential category will see a $0.18 increase in their monthly fee, to a total of $5.21. The Medium Residential customer fee, typical of most residential customers, will increase by $0.26 per month, to a total of $7.55. Other user categories will see an increase of $0.10 per 1,000 square feet of impervious area. The Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission (MWMC) adopted a 6% rate increase in regional monthly wastewater fees to fund on-going operations and maintenance along with needed improvements to regional wastewater facilities. Local wastewater user fees will increase by 12% to continue funding of operations, maintenance and rehabilitation of the Eugene wastewater collection system. This is the second increase in local wastewater rates since 1993. The combined effect of the wastewater fee increases for a typical residential customer amounts to an increase of $1.33 per month, from a current total of $16.59 to a proposed total of $17.92 per month. Of this typical increase, $0.69 is related to the regional portion while $0.64 is from the local portion of the fee. Other user categories will see similar effects in terms of the percentage increase, with dollar amounts varying depending on volume and strength of wastewater discharge. Public hearings on the proposed increases were held on May 26, 2005. No public comment on the rate increases was submitted at the hearings. For more information about the wastewater and stormwater fee increases, contact Fred McVey at 682-5216. Spencer Butte Middle School Students Work on Four Park Proiects On May 26, approximately 40 students from Spencer Butte Middle School helped Eugene Parks and Open Space staff with four projects in area parks and natural areas as part of a pilot Day of Caring. Crews of approximately 10 students and several adult chaperones and teachers spent the day shoveling, transporting and spreading mulch, pulling and digging up weeds, and recording wildlife monitoring data, and in the following activities: o Removed invasive species, such as blackberry and Herb Robert, along the Oak Knoll trail at Hendricks Park. The restored trail travels through a highly sensitive remnant of oak woodlands habitat that was once a prominent part of the Willamette Valley landscape. Pre's Trail volunteers EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2 June 2, 2005