By Pat Culverhouse
Sibley residents and customers outside the town’s limits will see a slight increase in their water bills beginning in July following a Monday vote by the town’s board of aldermen.
Base rates will remain the same for all customers, with increases coming on usage of more than 2,000 gallons monthly. For customers both inside and outside the town limits, rates will go up one dollar to $4.50 per thousand gallons after 2,000 gallons.
Base rate inside the town remains $24 for the first 2,000 gallons; customers outside the town limits will still pay a base rate of $27. No changes were made in the town’s wastewater rates.
“Cost of chemicals and repairs plus routine maintenance have continued to increase every year,” Mayor Robert Smart said. “We’ve tried to continue our services without rate increases, but we have to offset the higher expenses.”
Smart said the board opted for a minimal increase without upping the base rate in order to avoid putting a hardship on Sibley residents.
“We have to remember that we have people here who are elderly and many are on fixed incomes,” he said. “We need to increase the rates, but we have to consider our residents.”
Smart also said many federal and state grants which would help the town’s water and sewer system are tied to the rates.
“When we apply for grants, state and federal agencies look at our rates to determine our eligibility,” he said. “If our rates are considered too low, the grant might be denied unless we have an increase that someone else would determine and we don’t want that to happen.”
Following a public hearing Monday, aldermen also voted unanimously to adopt an ordinance declaring property known as the Lane Meadows subdivision as surplus, subject to sale at fair market value. The roughly 8.9 acres is located on the west side of U.S. Hwy. 71 at the northern town limits.
Lane Meadows was a unique subdivision concept, with the town of Sibley owning the property, promoting the proposed 21-lot development and selling lots. At the board’s last meeting, Smart reported unanticipated expenses the town’s budget simply could not handle.
Under the late Mayor Jimmy Williams, the town had purchased the property and plans had been moving forward to begin dirt work in early summer of this year. Smart said the board wants to see Williams’ dream for the subdivision advance, and indicated there is interest in the property from potential developers.
