Establishing Sewer Raters under City of Dubuque Code of Ordinances for Fiscal Year 2024Copyrighted
March 23, 2023
City of Dubuque
Special Meeting Action Items # 03.
IT E M T I T L E:Establishing Sewer Rates under City of Dubuque Code of Ordinances
for F iscal Year 2024
S UM M ARY:O RD I NANC E City Of Dubuque Code of Ordinances Title 13 P ublic
Utilities, Chapter 2 Sewers and Sewage Disposal, A rticle C Rates,
Section 13-2C-3 Rates Established for Fiscal Year 2024
S UG G E S T E D
D I S P O S I T I O N:
Suggested Disposition: Receive and F ile; Motion B; Motion A
AT TAC H ME N TS:
Description Type
Staff Memo Staff Memo
Ordinance Ordinance
Service People Integrity Responsibility Innovation Teamwork
TO: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
FROM: William J. O’Brien, W&RRC Manager
RE: Establishing Sewer Rates under City of Dubuque Code of Ordinances
Title 13 Public Utilities, Chapter 2, Article C, Sections 13-2C-3(B) and 13-
2C-3(C)(7).
DATE: March 20, 2023
INTRODUCTION:
The purpose of this memorandum is to provide an ordinance for review and approval.
This ordinance establishes the FY2024 City of Dubuque Code or Ordinances Title 13
Public Utilities Chapter 2 Article C, Sections 13-2C-3(B) and 13-2C-3(C)(7) fixing Sewer
Rates for all contributors whose property lies within the corporate limits of the City,
except as otherwise provided in this article.
DISCUSSION:
I recommend the Water & Resource Recovery Center FY2024 budget request include a
6% (six percent) sewer rate increase.
The following graph and table compare the proposed and approved FY2024 rates of the
11 cities in Iowa with a population over 50,000. The calculation is based on the average
residential water usage of 6,000 gallons per month.
$33.56 $33.84 $35.16 $36.88 $37.10 $41.87 $41.92 $42.92
$50.28 $53.29 $54.92
$60.65
$0
$10
$20
$30
$40
$50
$60
$70
Waterloo Council
Bluffs
Cedar
Rapids
Iowa City Ames West Des
Moines
Sioux City Average
w/o
Dubuque
Dubuque Ankeny Des
Moines
Davenport
FY2024 Sanitary Sewer Rate Comparison
Service People Integrity Responsibility Innovation Teamwork
Ranked
Highest to
Lowest
City
Sewer Cost for
6,000 Gallons
Notes
11 Davenport $60.65 Proposed 5% Increase, Effective
7/1/2023
10 Des Moines $54.92 Proposed 3% Increase, Effective
7/1/2023
9 Ankeny $53.29 No Proposed Increase for FY24
8 Dubuque $50.28 Proposed 6% Increase, Effective
7/1/2023
7 Sioux City (FY23) $41.92 FY24 has not been determined
6 West Des Moines $41.87 No Proposed Increase for FY24
5 Ames $37.10 No Proposed Increase for FY24
4 Iowa City $36.88 Proposed 2% Increase, Effective
7/1/2023
3 Cedar Rapids $35.16 Proposed 6.5% Increase, Effective
7/1/2023
2 Council Bluffs $33.84 Proposed 8% Increase, Effective
7/1/2023
1 Waterloo (FY23) $33.56 FY24 has not been determined
Average Cost/6,000 Gallons w/o Dubuque $42.92 14.64% lower than Dubuque
The highest sewer rate (Davenport) is 20.62% higher than Dubuque’s rate, and the
average is 14.64% lower than Dubuque.
FY24 rate increases for Sioux City and Waterloo have not yet been determined.
The City of Cedar Rapids Capital Improvement Plan identifies $252,782,941 in
treatment facility improvements and $63,393,700 in sanitary sewer improvements.
Significant rate increases will be required to fund these improvements.
The City of Waterloo will make significant sanitary sewer collection system and
wastewater treatment facility improvements over the next few years. Significant rate
increases will be required to fund these improvements.
The City of Council Bluffs Capital Improvement Plan identifies a number of sanitary
sewer and treatment facility improvements, including sewer extensions, the construction
of a new administration building, digester lid replacement, and repair or replacement of
several sanitary sewer pump stations. Funding is identified in FY28 for the development
of a Master Plan and permitting for expansion of the treatment facility.
RECOMMENDATION:
I recommend that you approve the proposed ordinance changes and submit them to the
City Council for approval at their March 23, 2023 budget hearing.
Service People Integrity Responsibility Innovation Teamwork
Cc: Crenna Brumwell, City Attorney
Jennifer Larson, Director of Finance & Budget
Adrienne Breitfelder, City Clerk
Randy Gehl, Public Information Officer
Attachments: Sewer Rates Ordinance
Prepared by William O'Brien Plant Manager, 795 Julien Dubuque Dr.,Dubuque IA 52003 (563)589 4176
Return to Adrienne N. Breitrelder, City Clerk, 50 W. 1311 St., Dubuque, IA 52001, (563) 589-4100
ORDINANCE NO. 13-23
CITY OF DUBUQUE CODE OF ORDINANCES TITLE 13 PUBLIC UTILITIES,
CHAPTER 2 SEWERS AND SEWAGE DISPOSAL, ARTICLE C RATES, SECTION 13-
2C-3 RATES ESTABLISHED FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
DUBUQUE, IOWA:
Section 1. Section 13-2C-3 of the City of Dubuque Code of Ordinances reads as
follows:
13-2C-3: RATES ESTABLISHED:
Contributors whose property lies within the corporate limits of the city, except as otherwise
provided in this article, shall pay to the city at the same time payment for water services
is made, a sewer service charge computed on water consumption on the following rates:
B. Schedule Of Rates:
Rate per each 100 cubic feet 1 $6.27 1
Rate per each gallon 0.00838 '
C. Service Charge:
7. Where the quantity of water consumed is such that the minimum of service
is charged, the minimum sewer service charge, according to the size of the meter,
shall be as follows:
Meter Size
Minimum Charge
Allowance
Allowance
(Inches)
(Cubic Feet)
(Gallons)
5/r 8 $12..54
200
1,496
__
3/� $31.34
500
3,740
1 or larger$50.15
800
5,984
Section 2. This Ordinance shall take effect on the 1 st day of July, 2023.
Passed, approved, and adopted this 23rd day of March 2023.
_ F
E40090
Attest:
Gz' Nnz 0. 6slk'z
Adrienne N. Breitfelder, City Clerk
STATE OF IOWA SS:
DUBUQUE COUNTY
CERTIFICATE OF PUBLICATION
I, Kathy Goetzinger, a Billing Clerk for Woodward
Communications, Inc., an Iowa corporation, publisher
of the Telegraph Herald, a newspaper of general
circulation published in the City of Dubuque, County
of Dubuque and State of Iowa; hereby certify that the
attached notice was published in said newspaper on the
following dates:
04/11/2023
and for which the charge is 24.10
- (
Subscribed to before me, a Notary Public i-and for
Dubuque County, Iowa,
this 1 lth day of April, 2023
Notary ! is in and for Dubuque County, Iowa.
JANET K. PAPE
r Commission Number 199659
My Commission Expires
12/11/2025
Ad text : CITY OF DUBUQUE
OFFICIAL PUBLICATION
ORDINANCE NQ. 13-23
CITY OF DUBUQUF CODE OF ORDINANCES TITLE 13 PUBLIC
UTILITIES, CHAPTER 2 SEWERS AND SEWAGE DISPOSAL ARTICLE C
RATES, SECTION 13-2C-3 RATES ESTABLISHED FOR FISCAI,1(EAR2024
NOW, TI3EREFORE, 13S IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF TFi1
CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA:
Section 1. Section 13-2C-3 of the City of Dubuque Code of
Ordinances reads as follows:
13-2C-3: RATES ESTABLISHED:
Contributors whose property lies within the corporate limits
of the city, except as otherwise provided in this article,
shall pay to the city at the same time payment for water
services is made, a sewer service charge computed on water
consumption on the following rates:
B. "Schedule Of Rates:
Rate per each 100 cubic feet" $6.27
Rate per each gallon10.00838
C."Service Charge:
7."Where the quantity of water consumed is such that the
minimum of service is charged, the minimum sewer service
charge, according to the size of the meter, shall be as
follows:
Meter Size (Inches)"Minimum
Charge"Allowance
(Cubic Feet)"Allowance
(Gallons)
5/8112.54"200"1,496
3/4131.34^500"3,740
l or larger"$50.15"800"5,984
Section 2. This Ordinance shall take effect on the 1st day
of July, 2023.
Passed, approved, and adopted this 23rd day of March 2023.
//Brad M. Cavanagh, Mayor
Attest: /s/Adrienne N. Breitfelder, CMC, City Clerk
Published officially in the Telegraph Herald newspaper on
the`lith day of April, 2023.
/s/Adrienne N. Breitfelder, City Clerk
It4/11