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Monthly Usage Monthly sewer bill Monthly sewer bill Monthly sewer bill <br /> (gallons) with current rates with proposed rates with proposed rates <br /> January 2009 July 2009 <br /> 2000 $15.20 $35.46 $42.55 <br /> 4000 $19.70 $57.96 $69.55 <br /> 6000 $28.70 $80.46 96.55 <br /> - Third increase —July 2010 <br /> o Base charge of$18.66 to all customers <br /> o Usage charge of$16.20 per 1000 gallons used <br /> o No 3000 gallon minimum charge <br /> Monthly usage Monthly sewer Monthly sewer Monthly sewer Monthly sewer <br /> (gallons) bill with current bill with bill with bill with proposed <br /> rates proposed rates proposed rates rates July 2010 <br /> January 2009 July 2009 <br /> 2000 $15.20 $35.46 $42.55 $51.06 <br /> 4000 $19.70 $57.96 $69.55 $83.46 <br /> 6000 $28.70 $80.46 $96.55 $115.86 <br /> Kevin Lindley said that the Board is expecting staff to investigate any opportunities or <br /> programs to help low-income citizens who may have trouble paying the higher sewer bills. The <br /> staff has done this and he will be submitting a memo at the December 1St meeting. <br /> PUBLIC COMMENT: <br /> George Whitted said that the rate is ridiculous. He was one of the first on this system <br /> and they were told that the rates were higher than what was needed to pay for the system. He <br /> said that he and his neighbors just received the letter of notification on Friday and rates would <br /> go up in January and again in July. He said that the figures should be examined again. He said <br /> that this is supposed to help the low-income families, but all of them will need help if these rates <br /> go up this high. <br /> Ben Lloyd said that there is a lot of concern in Efland about these rates. He said that the <br /> County is paying Hillsborough $140,000 a year and is only making $63,000 from the rates, so <br /> something is wrong. He said that when the bond issue was passed in 1988, that's when the <br /> trouble began. He said that this proposal is a 207% increase for the lowest usage. He is on the <br /> Board of Directors for Orange-Alamance Water, and the average customer uses somewhere <br /> around 4,000 gallons per month. He said that the problem is that this project was not completed <br /> when it should have been and there would have been more customers to cover the costs. He <br /> said that this would not work for the people in Efland because the citizens cannot afford it. <br /> Buster Graham lives in Efland and said that he has had some taps that have been <br /> guaranteed since 1988 for the sewer project. In the future, he thinks that a more practical <br /> approach would be a gradual increase in the sewer rate. He suggested increasing $5 a year for <br /> six or seven years. In the meantime, the tax rate on the property will probably double, and this <br /> tax revenue could be used to go against the sewer debt. If a new developer came in, then they <br /> could pay the maximum rate. He said that most people could adjust to a gradual increase <br /> rather than increasing the rate by $30-$40 right off the bat, since most of these people are on <br /> fixed incomes. <br /> S:\Minutes\20091124QPH.doc <br />