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WHEELING -- Legislation to implement water and sewer rate increases are scheduled to be introduced during tonight's Wheelng City Council meeting.
The meeting is slated to begin at 5:30 p.m. in council chambers at the City-County Building on Chapline Street downtown.
City leaders had previously announced that a 38% increase in water and sewer rates was expected in order to pay for more than $65 million worth of planned improvements to the city's water and wastewater systems. Wheeling officials have been reviewing lists of prioritized projects in these departments over the past year.
Earlier this month, council introduced an ordinance to put financing in place for these improvement projects. This legislation is up for a second reading during tonight's council meeting. The bond ordinance authorizes the financing of the various improvements through the issuance by the city of "not more than $80 million in aggregate principal amount of combined waterworks and sewerage system improvement revenue bonds." The new bond legislation is spelled out on a 61-page document.
While the water and sewer projects are expected to take place over the next few years, the money that is being financed for these projects is expected to be repaid over the course of 30 years.
According to language in the new water and sewer rate ordinances, the increase is slated to be 38% for customers of both utility services. This will result in monthly increases for average residential users of $11.63 for water service and $15.88 for sewer collection and disposal.
The proposed rate adjustments will result in a monthly increase of $80.76 for the average commercial water user and a $16,904.16 monthly increase to water resale users. For sewer services, the proposed rate hike would mean a $66.02 monthly increase for the average commercial user and an $8,817.20 monthly increase for resale users.
Tonight's rate hike legislation is scheduled to receive first readings only. Second readings and a final vote on the two ordinances will take place during Wheeling City Council's first meeting next month on Oct. 7 following a public hearing that is scheduled to take place at the beginning of the meeting at 5:30 p.m. in council chambers during the same meeting.
The city has already begun moving forward with priority projects, including work at the city's wastewater treatment plant, where a myriad of improvements are needed, officials said.
Last month, council approved an ordinance authorizing the expenditure of $382,640 with Verdantas Engineering of Wheeling for wastewater treatment sludge and dewatering services and centrifuge design. At tonight's meeting, another ordinance authorizing the city to expend $433,000 with CT Consultants -- which was recently acquired by Verdantas -- for professional engineering services for water treatment plant sludge dewatering.
Another ordinance is being introduced to authorize the expenditure in the amount of $760,000 with CT Consultants for professional engineering services for one of the major water projects on the prioritized list -- the Atlas, Carmel, Grandview, Oglebay, Leewood water main project.
A third ordinance being introduced tonight is for engineering services for another major water project. This ordinance will authorize the expenditure of $330,000 with CT Consultants for professional engineering services for the Mozart and Clearview booster stations project.
Prior to tonight's council meeting, members of the finance committee are expected to meet at 5:15 p.m. to review the city's August financial report.