ARLINGTON — If the kids go off to college and toilet flushings drop by more than half, shouldn’t a household get a break?
This and other questions were posed by people in Arlington during a busy public hearing Monday before the Arlington City Council.
The city wants to raise sewer service rates by $5 a month in order to help pay for the technological upgrade of Arlington’s wastewater treatment plant, work that is required by state and federal rules.
The current flat-fee residential sewer rate amounts to about $49, before taxes. The proposed monthly rate is about $54.
Future increases could add $20 a month to sewer bills within four years. By 2013, residents would pay about $74 a month or $858 a year for sewer service.
Should the City Council approve the increase, the new rate would be effective April 15. The monthly rate would then increase $5 each year in 2011, 2012 and 2013.
Compared with other cities in Snohomish County, Arlington’s sewer rate is and would continue to be about in the middle. Marysville, Everett and Stanwood, for example, have cheaper rates, while Snohomish, Lake Stevens and Sultan have more expensive rates.
Some of those at the public hearing expressed concern that other cities did the same job for less money.
Each city has its own system and costs, so it’s difficult to compare, said public works director James Kelly, who said he would bring more information about comparisons and sliding-scale fees to the next public hearing on the proposed rate increase.
The city’s wastewater treatment plant reached 85 percent of its capacity in 2005, triggering requirements by state and federal governments to increase the plant’s capacity. In addition, a federally mandated cleanup plan for the Stillaguamish River required that the city upgrade its treatment technology as well, Kelly said.
The $42 million upgrade and expansion project at the plant is being funded primarily through state and federal low-interest loans, as well as new sewer connection fees. With the slowdown in housing construction, the number of new connections has dropped significantly, requiring the rate increase for existing users, Kelly said.
Several speakers warned the council that if the city continues to raise its sewer rates, nobody will want to live in Arlington.
Marlene Jensen, an Arlington landlord, said she is upset because neither she nor her tenants are able to pay for the proposed increase.
“You are going to annihilate affordable housing in this city if you approve of these increases,” said Jensen, of Bellingham.
Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427; gfiege@heraldnet.com.
Public hearing
The next public hearing on a proposed sewer rate increase in Arlington is set for 7 p.m. March 15 in City Council Chambers, 110 E. Third St.
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