Dying Longton, Part Six; Smell That?

[CCarl]

Dying Longton, Part Six; Smell That?                 Copyright © MMXXII CCarl

Here we are Longtonites, whether you use little water, or a lot of it, no matter how little or much you flush and shower, we all pay the same sewer fee per month. And here is another example of the City using the poor to subsidize the rich, and where a single-person user subsidizes large-family users. What's that smell? Our sewer system rates are rank, that's what that smell is. [I know, some comedian will say they are supposed to stink.]

Our monthly sewer rate is $26.00, regardless of how much or little waste water you/I/we put into the sewer system. That needs to change, so we all pay for just what we contribute to the sewer system. And doing that is pretty easy, it's probably somewhere around fifth grade math [applied to a spreadsheet].

Below is an approach to the way we would only pay for what we flush. [There are, no doubt, other ways to approach this.] The approach is based around individual water-use for each household or business, but only the water-use that goes down the drain, and not water-use at outside faucets.

1) The actual number of gallons of water used must be recorded monthly, instead of the current 'rounding' process to the nearest one-thousand gallon increment. [See upcoming Post Eight for that discussion.]
2) Four winter months [November, December, January, and February] of actual water-use would be recorded and averaged, then applied as the baseline for year-around monthly sewer use for each user on the sewer system. Those months would be used because very few households or businesses use outside faucets those months. That would eliminate water use that does not go into the sewer from accruing a sewer-use fee. And it would establish a solid baseline for monthly water-use that does go through the sewer system.
3) An average monthly sewer use would be established for each user, according to the four-month water-use data.
4) The average monthly sewer use for every user would be updated annually [using #1 through #3, above], thus accounting for changes in the number of people in each household/business, as well as changes in water-use habits.
5) The City then needs to determine its annual sewer cost of operation. To do so, the City needs to improve its budget accounting by having line items for:
A) City Clerk annual hours and billable rate to read meters and bill for sewer use,
B) Maintenance Supervisor annual hours and billable rate to perform mandatory inspection and maintenance of sewer lines,
C) Maintenance Supervisor annual hours and billable rate to perform mandatory inspection and maintenance of sewer lagoon,
D) Maintenance Supervisor annual hours and billable rate to repair sewer lines,
E) Annual hours of use of any equipment used in sewer maintenance,
F) Fuel, oil, fluids, etc. pro-rated costs for equipment used in sewer maintenance,
G) Repair parts' pro-rated costs for equipment used in sewer maintenance,
H) Chemical costs used in sewage lagoon treatment, and
I) Parts' and materials' [like replacement sections of sewer pipe] cost for sewer maintenance.

There can be more line items [A through I, above] that come into play, but that is sufficient for the reader to get an idea of how a decent budget should be established and tracked. The last thing needed is the hourly rate for City Clerk, Maintenance Supervisor, and pieces of equipment used.

Here is the math. I do not know what the hourly rates actually are, and for this exercise, the specifics are not important. So I'll just use these hourly rates as an example; City Clerk  $19.00/hr, Maintenance Supervisor $16.00/hr, skid-steer $65.00/hr, and small backhoe $95.00 /hr.

The budget is simply monthly expenses of A through I summed over twelve months, multiplied by the applicable dollar rate. [This example is simplified by using the same hours for each month.]
A) 30 hr/mo x 12 mo x $19.00/hr = $6,840.00
B) 10 hr/mo x 12 mo x $16.00/hr = $1,920
C)   6 hr/mo x 12 mo x $16.00/hr = $1,152.00
D) 15 hr/mo x   3 mo x $16.00/hr = $ 720.00
E) skid-steer - 150 hrs x $65.00/hr = $9,750.00
E) backhoe - 40 hrs x $95.00/hr = $3,800.00
F) $850.00
G) $1700.00
H) $1500.00
I) 20 x $35.00 each = $700.00
Total Cost of operating sewer system for one year = sum of A through I = $28,932.00, or a cost of $2,411.00 per month.

Now, what does the City do with that number? [Remember, that number is not realistic, it is a fictional example.] Lets' say, using 1 through 5 above, that the average monthly, individual sewer use is 3310 gallons, and there are 150 sewer users who pay monthly fees.
Let's say a single-person residence has an average monthly sewer use of 700 gallons. That residence would owe (700/(3310*150))*$2,411.00 = $3.40 per month. THAT IS ALL.
Now, let's assume a family of six has an average monthly sewer use of 5745 gallons. That family would owe (5745/(3310*150))*$2,411.00 = $27.90 per month.

And, I'll bet the 5745 gallons per average month is not that unreasonable for a family of six that has four or five showers a day, maybe a bath or two a day, flushes the toilet two dozen or more times a day, runs the dishwasher twice a day, does two loads of laundry every day, and has frequent use of the sinks throughout the day for personal washing, and cleaning pots, pans, etc. that do not fit in the automatic dishwasher. What else inside water uses are there, that go down the drain? So, even using fictitious numbers, it is easy to see how over-charged single-person users are; and how relatively undercharged large family users are.

And that is how simple it is to charge people only for their actual sewer use. So, get your act together, City government, make that stink go away. Did I say fifth-grade math at the start of this? Belay that, make that fourth grade math. And I'll triple check my math to make sure it is correct.

The City has no reasonable excuse for the flat sewer fee it charges all of us. I won't accept laziness or ignorance as excuses. Git'er done, as the saying goes. However you reduce the stink, make sure it is reviewable by the taxpayers and residents. We have a right to see it. It is, after all, our money. Oh, it is also our sewer system.

The process for estimating monthly and annual sewer costs that is described above is exactly what a detailed budget should show for each and every function of City government. The City's budget, that it graciously shares with us in summer/fall before Council approves it in the winter, is far short of what the taxpayers should accept, or for what should be allowed by law, in my opinion. I will provide more budget information in Part Nine of these posts.

[upoladeb]

wow in pueblo colorado i expected stuff like this.I moved here cus there wasn't a building an zoning.Big city is coming to elk county....i don't know how to show dripping sarcasm

[millicentgill]

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