Water rate hike proposed in Gillett

City of Gillett residents will be subject to yet another rate increase, this time for water usage. The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin proposes a 21 percent rate increase. If the request is granted, the water bill of the average residential customer will increase from $14.23 to $17.20 for residents with a 5/8-inch or 3/4-inch meter who use 3,000 gallons of water per month. Alderperson Nanette Mohr, chairman of the utility committee, said it’s too early to know when an increase will take effect. “That’s up in the air yet,” she said. The Gillett Sewer and Water Commission filed an application with the PSC this summer in order to boost annual income and fund future projects. City of Gillett residents have been hit with multiple fee increases in recent months, including the following: • $20 wheel tax per vehicle collected annually for street reconstruction. • $5 a month more for sewer fees to fund a $2 million upgrade to the city’s sanitary sewer system. • $12 more (from $78 to $90) for garbage and recyclable collection to cover costs for pick-up, as the city starts its contract with a private collector and takes over recycling responsibilities from the county. Mayor Irene Drake said these additional fees will help cover city expenses plus upgrades to streets and utilities. The city faces tight budget restrictions due to levy limits set by the state which govern how much the city can collect in property taxes, she said. The PSC will hold a public hearing regarding the water rate increase at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 15, at Gillett City Hall via telephone from Madison. “We’d like people to come to it, so they know that’s going on. I think it’s important they get involved,” Drake said. According the PSC, the increase is necessary because of increased operating expenses, water plant additions and an increase in the rate of return since the last water rate case in 2007. “We have really nothing to say about the PSC (rates proposals). We do what we have to,” Drake said. The total increase in water revenues requested is $148,713 which will result in an estimated overall rate increase of 41 percent over the water utility’s present revenues. The public fire protection charge is now based on meter size rather than on the improvement value of the property. The public fire protection charge for a 5/8-inch or 3/4-inch meter will be $11.30 per month. The PFP charge will also be applied to tax exempt properties located in the city at the 5/8-inch meter rate of $11.30 per month. These properties previously had not been paying this charge. The PSC intends to webcast the hearing live on the PSCW’s website at http://psc.wi.gov under the “PSC Live Broadcast” button.