Athens water rates will go up
By Casey Krautkramer
The Athens Village Board on Monday approved for the village to apply to the state for an 8 percent simplified water rate increase for its residents. This will go into effect on October 1.
Village board members previously approved a 3 percent water rate increase at last month’s meeting, but now they’ve upped the rate increase to 8 percent as allowed by the state.
Jackie Nielson, an auditor with KerberRose, presented during Monday’s meeting on the village of Athens’ 2022 financial report, before the village board took action on approving an 8 percent simplified water rate increase for residents.
Nielson said in 2022 the village water utility’s net operating income was $12,104, leaving the village with just a 1.21 percent rate of return which is below the 3 percent rate of return needed.
“We ask that you keep an eye on that water rate of return in 2023 to see whether it keeps trending below the 3 percent needed,” Nielson told the village board. “You should consider a simplifi ed water rate increase to get that rate of return at 3 percent or greater.”
“I know it’s a board’s worst nightmare having to raise water and sewer rates but if you don’t do them on a gradual basis then you’ll have to raise them quite a bit and that’s when the public really starts to rumble. If you do these slight rate increases on occasion, then it’s not as noticeable than having to do a 17 or 24 percent rate increase which I’ve seen a few of my municipal clients having to do lately, so you’ll want to prevent that from happening.”
Nelson said the village of Athens sewer utility’s rates of return in 2022 operated with a loss of $27,314, leaving a negative rate of return at just under 1 percent. She said the village sewer utility also had negative rates of return at just under 1 percent in 2020 and 2021 too.
“We would recommend increasing the sewer rates probably sooner rather than later to push that rate of return back into the healthy range of 3 percent,” she told the village board.
The village board on Monday did not approve a sewer rate increase for village residents but it will likely have to in the future.
In other news:
The village board accepted a number of bids for the new municipal hall project including $22,965 to R & R Flooring of Spencer for new flooring, $57,800 to Lyon Heating and Cooling in Wausau for new HVAC, $43,188 to Jensen and Sons of Medford for blacktopping the parking lot, $1,250 to Arrow Precision Asphalt Maintenance of Plover for line striping the parking lot and $6,500 to SD Ellenbecker of Athens for installing new curb and gutter.
Village board members decided to have the village pay $2,079.50 to Peter Trucking in Athens to repair the village’s snow plow truck.
Caroline Street in the village will be closed at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 9 until 3 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 10 for Trinity Lutheran Church’s outdoor worship on Sunday, Sept. 10.
Bug Tussel Wireless will be given the right-of-way to conduct its work in the village, but it cannot do any digging between November 15 and April 1, 2024, unless there is an emergency. Bug Tussel Wireless also needs to fill in the holes and repair the concrete or blacktop before leaving the village.
The village board approved to send Al Belter to a wastewater conference on October 25-27 at an approximate cost of $800.
Village board members approved the third change order for the Elm/ Schlegel streets project for $3,790 and it approved a pay request from Switlick & Sons for $334,469.70 for the Elm/ Schlegel streets project.
