NEWS

Great Falls commissioners approves utility increase

Jenn Rowell
jrowell@greatfallstribune.com

City commissioners unanimously approved utility rate increases Tuesday night.

The new rates go into effect June 1.

Public Works staff recommended a 10 percent increase increase in water rates, a 3 percent increase in sewer rates and a 10 percent increase in storm drain rates.

For residential customers, an average water bill would increase $3.22 per month; an average sewer bill would increase $0.71 per month; and an average storm drain bill would increase $0.47 per month with the proposed rate increases. For commercial customers, average monthly bills would increase $2.81 per month for water, $1.18 for sewer and $0.55 for storm drain.

Staff annually reviews the rates to make moderate increases versus sporadic large increases, city staff said. Their annual presentation to the commission also includes a five-year projection of needs, revenues, expenses and estimated rate increases.

The average annual service rate and fee increase for the last 10 years is 4.7 percent for water, 5.3 percent for sewer and 1 percent for storm drain.

Public Works staff reviews the rates annually and makes adjustments to fund capital improvements, meet debt service coverage requirements and maintain reserves. The utility funds are fully self-sustaining and do not receive general fund support.

Rate adjustments used to be driven by the life cycle of utility systems and planned replacements, but in recent years, rate increases have been driven by regulatory requirements, said Jim Rearden, city public works director.

“I hate to raise rates,” Rearden said. “I pay them, too.”

Several residents spoke against the rate increases and Brett Doney, head of the Great Falls Development Authority, said GFDA supports the increase in that it reduces costly water main breaks, prevents being fined for violating state and federal regulations and it’s easier to absorb incremental increases than large increases.

Commissioners also approved an update to the library ordinance, which had not been updated since 1910.

During the regular work session, commissioners got an update on the park and recreation master from Michael Svetz, the consultant leading the project.

Results from the statistically valid survey, as well as focus groups and public meetings, confirmed what staffers knew anecdotally in that Great Falls residents largely participate in outdoor activities.

The consultants mailed surveys in February and had a goal of getting 350 surveys returned. They received 549.

“People have a high level of interest,” Svetz said.

The No. 1 unmet need that came out of the survey was a nonspecific adventure area. The idea was first generated in the public meetings at the beginning of the master plan process. If that idea continues to gain traction, Svetz said that would need a much higher level of planning and feasibility studies than the current master plan process.

It would also require community partners.

“It’s a visionary project that I would never recommend Great Falls take on on its own,” Svetz said.

In the facility assessment, neighborhood parks, community parks, direct and special use parks and open space undeveloped parks all received grades of B or B-. Swimming pools and the Community Recreation Center both received C+; tennis courts received a D grade.

Some of the grades are related to aging infrastructure, Svetz said.

Survey results also indicate that program participation is low and that the most common barriers were that respondents are too busy or uninterested, or respondents didn’t know what programs are offered.

Svetz said that indicates the department likely needs to make an investment in some sort of marketing.

Special events ranked at the top of most important programs to respondents with 40 percent ranking it in their top three. That includes the state fair and other events the city doesn’t host, Svetz said.

“You, whether you like it or not, are kind of in the special event business,” Svetz said.

Respondents also indicated that park and recreation programs improve their quality of life, promotes tourism and attracts new business.

For their support of possible funding methods for new and improved amenities, results were split on selling park land with 45 percent opposed, 34 percent unsure, 14 percent somewhat supportive and 7 percent very supportive.

On establishing a park district, 11 percent were very supportive, 22 percent somewhat supportive, 16 percent opposed and 51 percent were unsure.

Svetz said that is an area to explore in educating the public about the options of a park district and it’s also something for the commission to consider because it creates funding opportunities for facilities and programs.

“If something is starting to age ... there’s only so much you can do,” he said.

Svetz said that park and recreation programs and activities have a lot of advocates in Great Falls and that the consultants were blown away by the participation in the public meetings.

Commissioners also met with officials from Calumet Refining and BNSF on the issues in West Bank Park.

The refinery is expanding and working on plans to add a rail spur near the River’s Edge Trail at 4th Street near Sacajawea Island.

That project has concerned the city because of access issues at the rail crossing there and also conflict with the trail since the proposed spur would run across the 4th Street access that is a private rail crossing. BNSF has had an agreement with the city since 1975 to use that as an access to the trail.

Mayor Bob Kelly asked what needed to be done to change that crossing to public and Matt Jones of BNSF said that process has already started.

Kelly said the city appreciates Calumet and BNSF’s business but asked the officials to explain why the city should incur the cost of changing the railroad crossing access and for a cost estimate.

Jones said BNSF is working on designs now and doesn’t have a cost estimate yet.

City officials are continuing to work with Calumet, BNSF and the River’s Edge Trail Foundation to resolve the issues related to the expansion along the trail.