Exeter increases water, sewer rates, cracks down on delinquent bills
August 28, 2019
Vinnie Roberts
Exeter residents will soon see a slight increase in their water and sewer bills after the city council moved to implement a small increase at their regular meeting on Tuesday, August 14. There were also several key pieces of legislation that will affect the lives of residents discussed and passed.
The Exeter board of aldermen made a motion to raise the water and sewer rates for customers connected to city services, both inside and outside of the city limits to help offset costs of the operation of the city’s utility system.
The base rates for water will remain the same at $17.25 for customers inside the city limits, $27.25 for customers outside of the city limits with meters located within city limits, and $44.50 for customers with meters outside of city limits. These are the rates for the first thousand gallons of water used by a household.
The rate change affects the prices of every additional thousand gallons of water used. Whereas the rate was previously set at $3.30 per additional thousand gallons, the council voted to increase the charge to $3.80 per thousand gallons.
The change also affects the city’s sewer rates. The base rates for all customers hooked into Exeter sewer services will remain at $16 for the first thousand gallons of sewer usage, while the rate for an additional thousand gallons will rise from $5 to $5.50.
According to members of the board, this rate increase was done in order to generate more revenue to better allow the city to care for its water and sewer systems.
Additionally, the city has elected to make a move to collect delinquent water bills in the city. According to Marissa Robbins, Exeter court clerk and treasurer, the previous application that the city used to keep track of water and sewage services only allowed for one name to be included on the bill. Robbins explained this created an opening for several married or cohabiting households to move residences and get water turned on under the name of the other person in the household, while the previous bill under the other resident’s name went unpaid.
Robbins said it was decided a notice would be sent out on next month’s water bill urging citizens to report the names of spouses or other adults in the home responsible for bills. After this, the city will begin sending notices to the homes of residents with delinquent bills. After some debate on the method of operation, the Exeter city council officially approved the course of action.
Another water-related ordinance passed pertained to water meter installations. Robbins said under former mayor Rusty Reed, the city’s water department had absorbed the cost of installing water meters on properties that were not previously connected to the city’s water system.
Robbins explained there was an ordinance in place requiring citizens in need of a new meter to cover the cost of the new meters. The public works department continued operating in this way due to the relatively low expense and the infrequency of the installs. However, recently the water meter cost rose from $250 to $700.
After the city absorbed the cost of one of the new meters recently without being aware of the price change, it was decided that the ordinance will now be enforced.
Finally, the council officially passed a previously discussed amendment to an ordinance requiring the city to collect a fee from citizens moving trailer homes into city limits and inform neighbors of the move. Citizens are no longer responsible for the $15 permit to move a trailer home inside city limits nor is the council required to inform the neighboring lots of the move.
Finally, the council also moved to begin accepting sealed bids for the former city hall building. The bid process will last 45 days, and the city reserves the right to refuse any and all bids submitted.
For more information on water and sewer rate changes, ordinance changes or any other city-related business, contact Exeter City Hall at (417) 835-2823.
Vinnie Roberts
Exeter residents will soon see a slight increase in their water and sewer bills after the city council moved to implement a small increase at their regular meeting on Tuesday, August 14. There were also several key pieces of legislation that will affect the lives of residents discussed and passed.
The Exeter board of aldermen made a motion to raise the water and sewer rates for customers connected to city services, both inside and outside of the city limits to help offset costs of the operation of the city’s utility system.
The base rates for water will remain the same at $17.25 for customers inside the city limits, $27.25 for customers outside of the city limits with meters located within city limits, and $44.50 for customers with meters outside of city limits. These are the rates for the first thousand gallons of water used by a household.
The rate change affects the prices of every additional thousand gallons of water used. Whereas the rate was previously set at $3.30 per additional thousand gallons, the council voted to increase the charge to $3.80 per thousand gallons.
The change also affects the city’s sewer rates. The base rates for all customers hooked into Exeter sewer services will remain at $16 for the first thousand gallons of sewer usage, while the rate for an additional thousand gallons will rise from $5 to $5.50.
According to members of the board, this rate increase was done in order to generate more revenue to better allow the city to care for its water and sewer systems.
Additionally, the city has elected to make a move to collect delinquent water bills in the city. According to Marissa Robbins, Exeter court clerk and treasurer, the previous application that the city used to keep track of water and sewage services only allowed for one name to be included on the bill. Robbins explained this created an opening for several married or cohabiting households to move residences and get water turned on under the name of the other person in the household, while the previous bill under the other resident’s name went unpaid.
Robbins said it was decided a notice would be sent out on next month’s water bill urging citizens to report the names of spouses or other adults in the home responsible for bills. After this, the city will begin sending notices to the homes of residents with delinquent bills. After some debate on the method of operation, the Exeter city council officially approved the course of action.
Another water-related ordinance passed pertained to water meter installations. Robbins said under former mayor Rusty Reed, the city’s water department had absorbed the cost of installing water meters on properties that were not previously connected to the city’s water system.
Robbins explained there was an ordinance in place requiring citizens in need of a new meter to cover the cost of the new meters. The public works department continued operating in this way due to the relatively low expense and the infrequency of the installs. However, recently the water meter cost rose from $250 to $700.
After the city absorbed the cost of one of the new meters recently without being aware of the price change, it was decided that the ordinance will now be enforced.
Finally, the council officially passed a previously discussed amendment to an ordinance requiring the city to collect a fee from citizens moving trailer homes into city limits and inform neighbors of the move. Citizens are no longer responsible for the $15 permit to move a trailer home inside city limits nor is the council required to inform the neighboring lots of the move.
Finally, the council also moved to begin accepting sealed bids for the former city hall building. The bid process will last 45 days, and the city reserves the right to refuse any and all bids submitted.
For more information on water and sewer rate changes, ordinance changes or any other city-related business, contact Exeter City Hall at (417) 835-2823.
