Story - The Meade County Messenger


Vol. 117, No. 07	February 18, 2009

Muldraugh council approves $5 hike in city stormwater fees

By LARRY SEE JR.
Messenger Staff

A $5 hike in stormwater fees will soon make it onto resident’s bills. Currently residents pay $4 per meter for stormwater services.

Muldraugh City Council members, with member Louis Holston absent, reluctantly voted Feb. 9 to approve the hike.

The suggestion, made by Mayor Danny Joe Tate, came about in the face of state mandates to correct the city’s antiquated stormwater discharge system.

City Clerk/Treasurer Caroline Cline said the purpose of adding it onto the sewer surcharge, and manually separating them out, is becuase the city’s billing software is not believed to be able to add another service fee billing.

State Division of Water representative Abigail Rains was expected to attend the meeting, but had to postpone her visit. A special meeting is expected to be called at a later date.

“We have got to have the money,” Tate said. He figured the fees generated by the surcharge, in addition to a portion of the $6,368 already held in the city’s land development account, would allow the city to start the process of hiring an engineer.

Tate thought some funds could be used for a down payment for the engineer, adding the surcharge would generate about $3,300 monthly.

City officials have “borrowed” funds from the land development fund on other occasions, and are working on repaying some of their past loans.

“We need to get an engineer on contract and get it started,” Tate said. “I know that the people are going to come down hard on us.”

He stressed to council any funds in the stormwater account are only used for sewer needs.

“We have got to do something,” Tate continued. “I know the people are not going to like it, but they are not going to like the $10,000 a day fine we are going to face either.”

Councilmember Ron Heschke said the engineer would work with city Department of Public Works supervisor Anthony Lee, therefore officials could save some money.

“We have got to lay some pipe,” Tate said. “I know we’re going to have to do that. I don’t like it either.”

Tate added the fee could be readjusted after it is determined what the individual residents would need. He said some fees might remain at $5 while others would increase significantly.

“This is just something that we have got to do,” Tate said. “There are no ifs, ands or buts. We have got to do something and that’s my recommendation.”

Councilmember Curtis Kelley moved to increase the fee, which was supported by Councilmember Kenneth Toler. It was adopted unanimously.

Tate said the hike won’t take effect until the council changes the ordinance. That has to be drafted by the city attorney and undergo two readings and publication in a newspaper before it could take effect. Tate hopes to get it placed onto April bills.

“I hate to do it, but it just has got to be done,” Kelley said.

Councilmember Joseph Noon said the citizens of Muldraugh will be responsible for paying for something the state, and federal government, mandated.

Tate explained the fee would be levied on all Muldraugh residents. He said Jefferson County adopted a similar fee in 1989, and it has increased now to about $14 monthly.

City Clerk/Treasurer Caroline Cline is expected to provide engineering materials for the five firms which expressed an interest earlier in doing the work.

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