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Show t- - ' ' ' ' gewer rates increased By makcella walker The average property owner in Pleasant Grove will begin paying Tut $2 66 more each month for uer service beginning in April, Rowing a rate hike approved by city council last week. The rate increase became Jessary when the Timpanogos flial Service District announced Sit would be charging the four member cities an additional 15 per cent for service as of April 1. In addition, the city sewer fund was running in the red and because the city cannot afford to subsidize le seWer fund, it has to be self-supporting. self-supporting. The council left the hook-up fees at $1 000 so as to not discourage k The user rate was set at $9 for the base rate plus 65 cents per 1,000 gallons. The present rale is $7.50 base and 50 cents per 1,000 gallons. The suggestion for the amount of the increase was made by the Water and Sewer Department Committee headed by Councilman David Faux. They felt this was a fee that they could live with for several years without having to make another increase. The council also approved a related motion to charge $14 per linear foot to a maximum of 150 feet for new property development which abuts a street where the sewer line was already installed by the city. A charge of $400 per lateral for city installed laterals for new homes on streets where the sewer was city installed since Jan. 1, 1970, was also approved if it is the legal right of the city to do so. One resident reminded the council that the elderly and others on a fixed income have no leeway in their budgets to keep paying these utility increases that come all the time. He asked if the single elderly could receive some kind of rebate on their bill. 'Mayor David Holdaway said that they realize that this problem does exist but if' they give the elderly a rebate it is. a form of reverse discrimination because sometimes a young couple is on a limited income, too. The council noted that the city cannot depend on hookup fees to keep the sewer fund afloat as they are so unreliable. They said that if it appeared that a shortfall might occur in the sewer budget later they would reconsider raising the hookup fees. |