Rate hike proposed for Cheney

Cheney residents could see an increase in their utility rates in 2018, should the city's Public Works Department budget proposal receive council approval. The increase is one of two proposed to deal with infrastructure needs, with the other being from the Light Department.

At a budget public hearing held at the City Council's Oct. 24 meeting, Public Works Director Todd Ableman said the proposal bumps the residential water usage base rate from its current $8.26 to $10. The usage rate increases to $1.40 per 100 cubic feet from $1.05 and $24 per 1,000 cubic feet, up from $18.76.

No other fees or charges for service in the department's other divisions - building and planning, streets, solid waste, wastewater - are being increased. The hike in water rates is proposed to deal with infrastructure issues the city needs to address, the largest of which is the estimated $1.8 million redrill of its well No. 3.

"This (increase) really sets up where we can really take a look at that well 3, get production up and help address how we fund that (water infrastructure) in the future," Ableman said.

Infrastructure issues, such as the simultaneous failure of two wells last summer and in August 2014, coupled with longer and drier irrigation seasons and residential growth have led officials to begin looking at different measures to address Cheney's water supply. Those include redrilling well 3, along with possibly building a reclaimed water system using the city's wastewater/water reclamation plant.

Water accounts for 34 percent of Public Works $9.98 million budget, with almost $9.782 million in revenues proposed for 2018. Charges for services account for 75 percent of this revenue, with 18 percent coming via grants and loans - mainly used for larger projects such as street and arterial preservation and water main replacement.

Besides well 3, the water department is looking to undertake rehabilitation work on wells 6 and 7, and is applying for Community Development Block Grant funding to address water main replacement work on North Third Street. There is also ongoing work needed in replacing a number of older water meters to enable those hookups to be plugged into the city's fixed metering system as well as continuation of the fire hydrant replacement program.

"We have over 400 fire hydrants that do need attention," Ableman said.

The city also cleans one-third of its 47-plus miles of sanitary sewer lines annually, and carries out a 3-6 month program to clean problem lines. Last but not least, Ableman said they are in the process of submitting a first draft of the city's updated water plan, which needs to be completed by March 2018.

"So you need one more goal," Mayor Tom Trulove said. "The quiet zone."

The city has long attempted to address citizen complaints about the sounding of train horns in the city. Ableman said they have been talking particularly with Burlington Northern Santa Fe, whose tracks are closer to the city than Union Pacific's, and received some response back on initial proposals.

"We have quite a ways to go," he added.

The street department has a lengthy list of residential street work and a citywide residential sidewalk rehabilitation program it hopes to accomplish in 2018, much of which will depend on project bid prices, Ableman said. The solid waste department's main capital project proposal for 2018 is a commercial collection truck, which will allow it to more easily service businesses than it currently does with a residential truck.

The bump in water rates still gives Cheney the lowest overall customer utility burden in the county at an average of $72.25 a month. With its infrastructure issues, however, Cheney will need to continually adjust its rates more frequently.

"We will see small increases, incremental steps, over the next few years to catch up, rather than a large jump as in the past," City Administrator Mark Schuller told the council.

John McCallum can be reached at jmac@cheneyfreepress.com.