CHAMOIS — Chamois aldermen approved Ordinances #667 and #668, which raised the city’s water and sewer rates, after a public hearing held on Friday, Oct. 11.
Ordinance #667 will raise …
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CHAMOIS — Chamois aldermen approved Ordinances #667 and #668, which raised the city’s water and sewer rates, after a public hearing held on Friday, Oct. 11.
Ordinance #667 will raise the water rates effective on Nov. 1, 2024. Residents that use up to 1,000 gallons of water will pay $23.50 per month, and every additional 1,000 gallons will cost $6. This ordinance will replace the current water rates of $20.50 for up to 1,000 gallons and $5.50 for every 1,000 gallons over the minimum. Ordinance #668 will raise the sewer rates, effective Nov. 1, 2024. Residents that use up to 1,000 gallons will pay the minimum of $25 per month and an additional $6 for every 1,000 gallons over the minimum. Current sewer rates are $20.50 per month for the minimum service and $5.50 per additional 1,000 gallons of use.
The ordinances set incremental increases for sewer and water rates over the next three years in addition to the rate increases set to go into effect on Nov. 1, 2024.
Ordinance #667 set increases for the water rates on Nov. 1, 2025, to increase to $26.50 for minimum use and an additional $6.75 for every 1,000 gallons over that. The water rate increase for Nov. 1, 2026, will be for the minimum water usage to increase to $30.00 per month, and every 1,000 gallons over the minimum cost an additional $7.50. Rates are set to rise again in November 2027 to $32 for the minimum use and an extra $9 per 1,000 gallons of water used over the minimum.
Ordinance #668 also set up sewer rate increases for the next three years. The rate increase on Nov. 1, 2025, would be $26 for the minimum and an additional $7.50 for usage over 1,000 gallons. Nov. 1, 2026, will see a further rate increase of $27 for the minimum service and an additional $9 per 1,000 gallons of additional use. The ordinance also sets up a rate increase for Nov. 1, 2027, of $28 for the minimum use and an additional $10 for each 1,000 gallons used.
Both ordinances allow aldermen to increase rates if they feel that it is necessary.
Aldermen originally approved these same rate increases at their regular meeting in August, and the rates were set to go into effect on Sept. 1, 2024. However, the board was informed by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) that the city had to hold a public hearing with 30 days’ notice for residents to air any concerns and opinions they may have.
Seven residents attended the public hearing, and no one was in favor of the rate increases. Resident Dawn Schaperclaus asked aldermen to investigate other funding sources for the water and sewer project instead of raising the rates.
Resident Jay Brummond insisted that the rates were too high already.
Resident Guy Montgomery said that he thought that the article in the Unterrified Democrat written by Theresa Brandt did not specify that the rates were set to go into effect on Sept. 1, 2024. “I understand that is not the official record for the city, but it is where a lot of people get their information,” Montgomery said. “At the end of the article, in August, it says there is a 50% water loss; is that correct? If that is correct, I think we should see if the city can handle the water before we raise the rates. I don’t think we should raise the rates until you can prove to us that you can maintain the water system.”
Brandt explained that the rate increases had been in the Unterrified Democrat twice and that the information was correct, but Montgomery continued to address aldermen, complaining that no one had double-checked the information that had been written in the paper.
Resident Leslie Kiss said that she wished that the residents had more understanding that the city already has a loan for a past sewer project and needs an additional loan for the water project to continue.
Alderman Cole Schaben read the residents part of the letter that DNR had sent the city: “The debt coverage is projected to be mostly negative through the fiscal year 2028 for both water and sewer. The city has a State Revolving Fund (SRF) loan in repayment status with us, so it appears you will not meet the coverage requirements of your existing debt. Both the sewer and water rates will need to increase to meet the coverage rate in each fiscal year moving forward.”
“If we don’t raise our rates, we can’t keep our loan status up,” Schaben said. “I don’t want to pay more either.”
“We live here like everyone else; we don’t want the rates to go up,” said Mayor Marie Slusser. “If the rates have to go up to get the loan, that is what we have to do. We have to continue to push forward.”
Alderman Cheyanna Wolfe said that if there were another way to get the funding other than raising the water and sewer rates, the city would have already done that.
“I don’t want my water to go up; no one wants that to happen,” Slusser said. “Electric is going up. Everything is going up.”
Brummond said that he was not concerned that he couldn’t pay his water and sewer rates but that he was concerned with how this would affect other people in the town.
“What about all of the people down here that are poor?” Brummond asked.
“We’re all poor,” Schaben answered back.
In other business, aldermen approved payment of $3,540 to Light Property Management for repairs to Riverside Park. After the meeting, Slusser said that she should not have called for a vote on the outstanding bill since the meeting was supposed to concern only water and sewer rates. She will bring the issue back up for approval at the regular meeting.
Montgomery interrupted the meeting before it was adjourned to announce that he was going to work to get signatures for a petition asking for a vote for a new mayor. Slusser cut him off and adjourned the meeting. After the meeting, Montgomery told Slusser that he would withdraw the petition request.
The next meeting will be held on October 25 at 6:30 p.m.