7/8/12
Nobody seems to be mentioning that city water has an ongoing cost even after all the assessments and install costs are paid. The City charges $17.50 per quarter minimum for water usage (up to 5,000 gallons per quarter). After the minimum, the usage charge goes up in tiers and tops out at $4.25 per 1,000 gallons once usage reaches 50,000 gallons per quarter.
So, quarterly water bills easily can total in the $400 per year range. If a property has lots of lawn irrigation in the summer, the cost can be much higher.
The usage cost should be added into the discussion of expanding water city-wide.
Usage cost is forever.
Happy Reading!
The Insider
In some areas of the country, cities are selling off their water systems to private-for-profit companies. User rates increase several hundred percent, customer service sucks, and the water is crappy...not to mention a monopoly that leaves them powerless--much like having Mediacom for cable. No one can sell our wells out from under us.
ReplyDeleteOur water system makes money. That is why they are so anxious to extend it to all of Shorewood. Given how they are spending the rest of our money why should this be an exception?
DeleteFor a thirty million dollar commitment, and saddling property owner with user fees forever, shouldn't there at least be a referendum on this? I didn't hear a peep from the Gang of Four on this during the last elections.
DeleteThe water system only makes money AFTER the customer base is compelled to pay an outrageous amount for the delivery infrastructure. I don't subscribe to Mediacom, but I also was not charged for them to run cable by my property. The economics of municipal water is fatally flawed. Unfortunately, although strong economic thinking is the single area that is most important in our elected officials, it is also the area where Lizee and company are completely clueless.
DeleteLomah, whoever you are, please run for office. We need some straight economic thinking around here.
DeleteYour responses on this blog are consistently intelligent and thoughtful. I would welcome the opportunity to vote for someone who can intelligently voice these compelling arguments.
I bet you could find a campaign committee here...
There are cogent arguments this blog against building out the water system.
ReplyDeleteCounclmembers watch this blog. Here's the challenge: Give us an argument in support of your pursuit. Convince us we are wrong. Silence is not an answer.
Speaking of Referendum: Everyone should note that NO ONE on the Council ran on a platform of Forced Collectivization and dependency on a Government-Run-Water-System. Hmmm, why is it no one will run on that platform?
ReplyDeleteAnd it is worth repeating: a city water system must be in-place to enable high-density, low-income housing projects to move into your neighborhood. If there is no city water, there can't be new apartments... radically changing the character of our town.