Posting on behalf of Kim Rosenberg
loretta.kim.rosenberg@gmail.com
With Referendum 29-179 on the ballot for this November’s election, I wanted to understand how other Oregon cities bill for water, so I did a little research.
For 24 years the League of Oregon Cities has compiled Water Rates Surveys from cities in Oregon to understand trends in water and stormwater rates. Most cities in the survey use a drinking water rate structure like Manzanita’s tiered rate structure that includes a base rate with additional charges for water use beyond that amount. It’s not the same thing as a surcharge which is a fee for specific costs or conditions like when you use a debit card at a different bank or ask for cash back at Fred Meyer.
Of the responding cities 90% bill monthly, 10% bill bi-monthly and 0% bill quarterly. While not all cities in Oregon responded to the voluntary survey, that’s a pretty stunning result. So, I decided to look at the City of Philomath, where Randy Kugler, the author of the referendum, was City Manager for 18 years, to see how Philomath does it.
The city of Philomath bills monthly. In Philomath City Council meetings, archived from 1994 and available on their city’s website, Mr. Kugler often spoke about the importance of water conservation and how monthly billing helped save water. In addition, he praised the monthly billing system technology as increasing efficiency for the city at the March 14, 2011, Council Meeting. Mr. Kugler also included ways consumers could improve water conservation at home in the 2011 Philomath Water Study. During that time Philomath Public Works was in the process of installing radio read water meters throughout the city at the behest of Council and the recommendation of the Public Works Committee.
The Philomath Public Works Operations Supervisor reported at the August 13, 2012, Philomath Council Meeting that the last radio read water meters had been installed resulting in huge savings in staffing to read the meters every month.
As City Manager, Mr. Kugler saw the benefit of monthly billing and water conservation for consumers and Philomath. No other cities in Tillamook County bill quarterly. All see the value of monthly billing to prevent water loss by identifying leaks and faulty meters sooner than later while encouraging conservation by consumers.
It just makes sense.
Kim Rosenberg
Philomath City Council Minutes Archive
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