Cabana Beach Apartments Holds 1st Annual Polar Bear Plunge to Benefit United Way of Hays County
To get in the holiday giving spirit, put on your warmest swimsuit, come down to Sewell Park and jump in the San Marcos River, all for a great cause…United Way of Hays County. Cabana Beach Apartments presents the 1st Annual Polar Bear Plunge benefiting United Way of Hays County on December 1, 2008, at […]
Texas State studies prevalence of drug-resistant “super-bugs”
Rodney Rohde, a Clinical Laboratory Science associate professor at Texas State University-San Marcos, along with two undergraduate students have recently conducted a prevalence study of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MSRA), as well as Staphylococcus aureus carriage, in a healthy undergraduate student population.This study is one of the first conducted in a university population that investigates risk […]
State Rep. Rose to address Hays-Caldwell Women’s Center annual meeting
Patrick M. Rose, State Representative for Hays, Caldwell and Blanco counties, is the honored guest speaker for the Hays-Caldwell Women’s Center Annual Meeting. Highlights of the meeting include elections to the Board of Directors
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Hospice innovator passes away during National Hospice Month
November marks National Hospice Month. But this month was overshadowed by the death of Florence Wald on November 8, former Yale nursing dean and founder of the first hospice in America.Her daughter, Shari Vogler, said that her mother had died from natural causes. She died in her home in Branford, Connecticut with a […]
City Council revisits water/wastewater rate increase
Posted on September 4, 2008 at 5:53 pm • Print • Share
A rate increase of five percent is being proposed for water/wastewater in San Marcos, pending the adoption by the City Council. The Council held there second of three readings for the proposed rate increase and the community was present to make themselves heard. During the reading San Marcos Mayor Susan Narvaiz gave order to staff to provide residents with index card on which they could write their question and comments and have them answered, at the end of the rate presentation, by the Director of Water/Wastewater Utilities Tom Taggart.Residents posed several written questions to Taggart, all of which he answered and for some, provided evidence. Taggart also provided the audience with some insight that drew several perplexed faces in the audience.
“Property taxes do not fund utilities at all,” said Taggart. “Many times it’s easier to increase rates in low increments, instead of a high increase in one year.”
Mayor Narvaiz asked city staff if other alternatives were possible. She said the rate increase should be deferred for one year.
“Is there no other place we can get this money?” asked the Narvaiz. “What we’d like to know is what are our choices.”
The five percent increase is projected to produce $1,079,000; Narvaiz asked if the cost could not be passed on to the residents and instead have it covered with the city savings account for this upcoming fiscal year while other alternatives and options are considered.
Taggart said San Marcos currently has enough water for its residents until 2027 if growth does not exceed the forecasted expectations. He said this rate increase and those to come are necessary for a new Wastewater Treatment Plant and to ensure water for San Marcos the next fifty years. Taggart also added that currently San Marcos has between five and six million gallons of wastewater going through the wastewater treatment plant and law requires a new treatment plant when 75 percent capacity is reached.
Narvaiz said she understands these needs must be met and wants to fund it as requested, but she does not want to pass the increase onto the residents for another year, which would allow the Council to revisit all the moving parts.
According to the presentation the impact to the average customer combined water/wastewater bill with the five percent increase would be $4.61 for the residents in the city. Currently the average is $92.68 and the proposed amount average would be $97.29. For the residents outside the city, the increase would be $5.79, currently the average is $115.88 and the proposed average amount would be $121.66.
By ANDY SEVILLA
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This increase is not necessary. We’re a long way from needing a new sewer plant. Council needs to defer this increase for at least a year and examine every facet of the water/wastewater departmment for cost savings.
While I hate paying more for water we have to plan for the future. Our pipes and infrastructure is old and will need to be replaced. We have grown and do need to accomodate the growth. Remeber guys an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
My family has been dealing with the ancient sewer and water system on Burleson Street for years. Before that it was in another parts of town. The simple fact is that we have to deal with it so we may as well do it.