Code of Ordinances Amendment - Title 13 Establishing Sewer RatesCopyrighted
A pril 23, 2020
City of Dubuque Action Items # 2.
IT E M T I T L E:Code of Ordinances A mendment - Title 13 E stablishing
Sewer Rates
S UM M ARY:
O RD I NANC E City of Dubuque Code of Ordinances Title
13 P ublic Utilities, Chapter 2 S ewers and S ewage
Disposal, Article C Rates, Section 13-2C-32 Rates
Established for Fiscal Year 2021
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
Suggested Motion Wording Supporting Documentation
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: April 22, 2020
INTRODUCTION:
The purpose of this memorandum is to provide an ordinance for review and approval.
This ordinance establishes the FY2021 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 FY2021 budget request include a
0% (zero percent) sewer rate increase due to the potential economic hardship placed
on our community and customers as a result of COVID-19.
The following graph and table compare the proposed and approved FY2021 (FY20 rate
used for Sioux City) sewer 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.
Service People Integrity Responsibility Innovation Teamwork
Ranked
Highest to
Lowest
City
Sewer Cost for
6,000 Gallons
Notes
11 Ankeny $61.66 No Proposed Increase for FY21
10 Davenport $60.33 Proposed 7% Increase, Effective
7/1/2020
9 Des Moines $50.66 Proposed 3% Increase, Effective
7/1/2020
8 Dubuque $42.24 Proposed 0% Increase, Effective
7/1/2020
7 West Des Moines $40.88 Base rate/1000 gal. Increasing
$0.15, Availability Charge increasing
2.5%, Effective 7/1/2020
6 Sioux City (FY20) $36.74 Will Propose increase for FY21, % of
increase has not been determined
5 Iowa City $36.65 No Proposed Increase for FY21
4 Ames $36.17 Proposed 5% Increase, Effective
7/1/2020
3 Cedar Rapids $30.96 Proposed 6.5% Increase, Effective
7/1/2020
2 Waterloo $29.82 Proposed 5% Increase, Effective
7/1/2020
1 Council Bluffs $22.94 No Proposed Increase for FY21
Average Cost/6,000 Gallons $40.82 3.36% lower than Dubuque
Average Cost/6,000 Gallons w/o Dubuque $40.68 3.69% lower than Dubuque
The highest sewer rate (Ankeny) is 45.98% higher than Dubuque’s rate, and the
average is 3.36% lower than Dubuque.
The City of Cedar Rapids’ 5-year capital improvement plan, for water pollution control
and sanitary sewer projects, is estimated at $111.9 million. An additional $133 million in
water pollution control improvement projects is not included in the 5-year plan, as
funding these costs would require alternative funding sources or large annual rate
increases. Staff will be reviewing options to fund these additional expenses.
The City of Waterloo will likely make $80 million in 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 is currently performing a rate study to ensure rates are
sufficient to cover costs. The current 5-year capital improvement plan for sanitary sewer
collection system and wastewater treatment facility improvements estimates over $17
million in improvements.
Service People Integrity Responsibility Innovation Teamwork
RECOMMENDATION:
I recommend that you approve the proposed ordinance changes and submit them to the
City Council for approval at their April 23, 2020 budget hearing.
Cc: Crenna Brumwell, City Attorney
Jennifer Larson, Director of Finance & Budget
Kevin Firnstahl, City Clerk
Randy Gehl, Public Information Officer
Rachel Kilburg, Budget Analyst
Attachments: Sewer Rates Ordinance
ORDINANCE NO. 16-20
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 2021
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
$5.27
Rate per each gallon
0.00704
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)
5/8
$10.53
200 1,496
/4
$26.33
500
3,740
1 or larger
$42.24
800 5,984
Section 2. This Ordinance shall take effect on the 1st day of July 2020.
Passed, approved, and adopted this 23rd day of April 2020.
9
Roy D. Buol, Mayor
Attest:
Kevi 8. Firnstahl C. 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:
04/29/2020
and for which the charge is 18.64
Subscribed to before me, a Notary Public in and for
Dubuque County, Iowa,
this 29th day of April, 2020
K I
ublic in and for Dubuqu County, Iowa.
JANET K. PAPE
Commission Number 199859
fly Comm. Exp, DEC 11, 2022
Ad text : OFFICIAL
PUBLICATION
ORDINANCE NO. 16-20
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 2021
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, $5.27
Rate per each gallon, 0.00704
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)
5/8, $10.53, $200, 1,496
*, $26.33, 500, $3,740
1 or larger, $42.24, 800, 5,984
Section 2. This Ordinance shall take effect on the 1st day of
July 2020.
Passed, approved, and adopted this 23rd day of April 2020.
/s/Roy D. Buol, Mayor
Attest: /s/Kevin S.
Firnstahl City Clerk
Published officially in the Telegraph Herald newspaper on the
29th day of April 2020.
/s/Kevin S. Firnstahl, City Clerk
It 4/29