by Carrie Moritz, Gazette
Water rates to rise as council plays catch up
On Monday, the Garretson City Council learned that the General Fund has been absorbing $106,000 per year in water and sewer rate losses, thanks to a never-implemented surcharge from 2005. They also heard from neighborhood tenants who had concerns about The Gulch hosting a street dance on the corner of 3rd and Main over Jesse James Days, due to noise and vandalism issues that occurred last year.
Water and sewer rates in Garretson are some of the lowest in the state, which has caused issues as the city makes infrastructure improvements. The council voted to implement a 3% water and sewer rate increase in January, and will be doing so each year going forward. Unfortunately, it does not appear to be enough, and the council voted on Monday to raise rates further.
"We have loans from several years ago, that we're still paying on, where surcharges were never put in place when they should have been," said City Finance Officer Paetyn Dreckman as she addressed the council.
If those surcharges had been implemented in 2005, they would have ended once the loan was paid in full.
Councilor Dave Bonte asked if there was a way to keep the base rate the same so those on fixed incomes wouldn't be as highly impacted, to which Dreckman responded that they could not.
Due to how laws are structured, she said, a new surcharge could not be added for back payments, which means it had to be a permanent increase in the base rate in order to make the water and sewer funds sustainable.
The funds had been operating at a deficit of around $106,000 each year, leaving the rest of the General Fund to take the hit. According to Dreckman, this extra-low rate has not only impacted saving for future projects, but has also kept the municipality from being able to apply for some grants and funding in infrastructure improvements.
In terms of costs, it will raise the rates approximately $25 per month. As an example, Dreckman said rates could go from $61.17 to $86.45 for water and sewer combined.
Despite trepidation from the council, they did not see a way to vote against the resolutions. The water and sewer funds are not supposed to operate at a loss.
"I'm not sure we have a choice," said councilor Bill Hoskins.
Hoskins asked if any of this had to do with the water study, and learned it did not. These were charges Dreckman had been watching over the past year since she took up the mantle of City Finance Officer. He also questioned Dreckman on whether a surcharge would have to be put in place for the 4th Street construction project, to which Dreckman said it would. However, she did not have an estimated price available.
The council passed both rate increase resolutions unanimously.
Street Dance Concerns
Next on the agenda was an application from The Gulch Bar & Grill for a special liquor license. They are planning to host a street dance over Jesse James Days, similar to the one held last year.
Despite fond memories of past street dances by participants, the reality of living near one while it is in session appears to be different, as attested to by two tenants and a building owner for the apartments nearby. They spoke of noise, strobe lighting, and vandalism issues that occurred last year, which incapacitated one resident to the point that she had to be rescued from her residence.
Hoven Properties owner Darla DeWit pointed out that while she was not opposed to the street dance itself, she was concerned for her tenants, some of whom have significant health issues that can be affected by loud noise and strobe lighting. Last year's dance had the speakers set up directly in front of the Hoven building on the southeast corner of 3rd and Main, and she wanted to request the council or organizers consider where the speakers are placed.
"The vibration, the sound, and the lights start flashing, I became violently ill from it," said Hoven Properties' tenant Janet Smith. She had initially been excited for the live music, but found that her body did not react well to the level of sound.
DeWit pointed out there was also damage to vehicles in the parking lot last year, which was corroborated by Don Schmidt, a resident across the street from the Hoven building. He pointed out his vehicle also suffered damage.
"Would it make a difference if it moved down the street past the Combine to where the Depot is?" asked councilor Bruce Brown.
Mayor Beaner wondered aloud if perhaps a change of venue, such as to the ball fields, might be appropriate.
With no representative attending from The Gulch to answer these questions or participate in the discussion, the council requested the application be tabled until April's meeting. In the meantime, Mayor Beaner asked Dreckman to contact the owner of The Gulch to ensure a representative would be in attendance.
Important Asides
Other news from the meeting included an announcement from Maintenance Supervisor Ryan Nussbaum that on April 3 & 4, weather permitting, the 5th Street bridge will be closed while the construction company places beam jacks under the structure.
Dreckman announced on behalf of Jess Fueston that Citywide Cleanup has been moved to April 22 instead of the first weekend in May to coincide with Citywide Rummages, which will be held April 14-15.
The council approved signing the contract with Metro Construction for boring along Dows Street, which will see a water main installed from the car wash to Nordstrom's PTLA Storage this year.
Natural gas prices for the month have dropped another 10 cents, bringing the price to $1.07/ccf.
Snow removal is way over budget this year, as the season looks to break into the top 10 for overall snowfall in South Dakota's recorded history. However, it is important for city residents to do their best at keeping up with snow removal from sidewalks, and to request help if needed.
An equalization meeting will be held at City Hall on Monday, March 20 at 6:30 p.m. and the next regular meeting will be on April 10 at 6:30 p.m. at the Legion.
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