Water/sewer rate hike discussed

During the regularly scheduled meeting of the Carbon County Impact Joint Powers Board (CCIJPB) at 6 p.m. on Oct. 10 at Saratoga Town Hall, board member Roger Cox brought the issue of Old Baldy Club (OBC) and water and sewer billing back up for discussion. The joint powers board also discussed the possibility of rate increases with sewer billing to help pay back the loan for the recently completed lagoon project.

Treasurer Russ Waldner and board member Dave Christman were absent during the meeting.

As was previously reported in the June 20 edition of the Saratoga Sun (page 6, “Lagoon done, billing discussed”), Cox raised the issue of inaccurate billing for OBC in regards to both water and sewer. While OBC had leased its water rights to the Town of Saratoga until the completion of the water well project, the facility paid a flat fee of $241 per month. This was supposed to change following the water rights reverting back to OBC, but never did.

The biggest issue that the CCIJPB faced following their discussion in June was figuring out how many residences at OBC were tied into the town sewer system and how many were using septic systems. During the October meeting, Cox asked Winter if he had been able to find out any information on the billing of OBC.

“If it costs me whatever it costs me a month for water and sewer and somebody’s living out there with the same thing, they ought to be paying just as much per month as I am,” said Cox.

Richard Raymer, town council representative, was in agreement and reiterated the discussion from the meeting in June, that a per residence billing for water and sewer would be a substantial amount of money.

“I agree, we do need to address that,” said Vice-Chairman Craig Kopasz. “The one thing that we do have to keep in mind is that they are a parallel system. Town’s responsibility stops at the meter and, so, they maintain their own system. Sewer, same deal, but they’re directly affecting the lagoons with grease or whatever else is coming down the line.”

The board decided that they would continue the discussion of billing with OBC during the December meeting. Kopasz suggested that a representative from OBC be contacted so that the club could be involved in the conversation.

The very real possibility of rate increases were discussed later in the meeting when Dennis Tschacher, of Anton Collins Mitchell LLP in Laramie, asked if the CCIJPB would be paying back the loan that was taken out for the lagoon project with a rate increase while going over their financials.

“That would be the idea, that we would look at the term of the loan and the interest and identify a rate increase associated with the number of rate users in town. So we will be looking what will be rate increase for the rate payers … over a 20 year (period),” said Winter.

Raymer put forward a motion that the funds raised from the rate increase intended to go towards the loan be submitted through the town to avoid bookkeeping issues. Joe Parsons, board member, stated that he felt such a motion should be made when Waldner was present as he was the treasurer.

Further discussion centered around how much of an increase in sewer rates would be required. While the original intent had been that a rate increase not exceed $7.20, Raymer pointed out that there had been restructuring of the project and that the increase could be between $3 and $5. With no second on Raymer’s motion, the motion failed.

The next meeting of the Carbon County Impact Joint Powers Board will be at 6 p.m. on Nov. 14 at the Saratoga Town Hall.