Ignacio town trustees have approved higher sewer and water rates to cover price increases from the Southern Ute Indian Tribe. The significant increase, 8.7 percent, is with sewer rates.
Trustees approved the increases on Nov. 16. They cover tribal rate increases to the town that took effect in October, plus increases from October 2015 that the town didn't pass on previously to customers.
The sewer rate will increase from $68.09 per month per equivalent residential tap to $72.99. Water will increase by 60¢ per 1,000 gallons.
The new rates will show up in December bills. It was noted previously that these increases cover only the tribal rate increases, not town costs to maintain the lines in town. The sewer rate includes $11.82 for that, the same as it's been.
Sewer and water tap fees will go up by the same percentage as the monthly rates, Interim Town Manager Mark Garcia told trustees. "Our development costs are the highest in the county," he warned. "It will kill development."
Garcia reiterated his assertion that the town is being charged for 40 percent of inflow to the tribe's sewage treatment plant, but the town accounts for only around 20 percent on average. The town sent a letter to the tribe in October about this discrepancy and requested mediation, and town and tribal officials met on Oct. 20, apparently with no resolution of the town's issues.
Garcia said last week that there had been no tribal response to the town requests.
He cited the town's service contract with the tribe that says there should be no subsidization of rates and no price disparities. "We asked for a rate analysis, and there's none," he said.
Trustee Tom Atencio wanted the town to install its own devices to measure the town's flow to the sewer plant. "We were told at that (Oct. 20) meeting that we were delivering a lot of leakage (line infiltration) to them. We were never told that before. We need basic facts for ourselves." Do that or stop complaining about what the tribe charges, he said. "We've been fighting this for five years. I'm tired of fighting," he said.
Garcia asserted that the line infiltration is actually a benefit "because it helps them run their plant more efficiently. You start looking for infiltration when you are nearing (treatment plant) capacity. They're running way under capacity."
Audience member Kasey Correia agreed with Atencio about determining the town's actual flow. The increase is hurting people on fixed incomes and tenants in her several rental properties. "This is slamming them," she said. "They have to cut back on their medicine, put blankets over their windows. ... Our sewer is off the charts."
Correia also said, "It makes it really hard to grow your economic base and provide housing. ... At what point do you say let's entertain (the town installing its own) small (treatment) plant to protect the citizens?"
Garcia said that couldn't happen quickly because of the existing agreements with the tribe.
Trustee Alison deKay commented, "I like to control my own stuff. But we have to get the state to agree that we can have a plant. They could say, 'You have a great plant, so use it.' If we go off (the tribe's) systems, there won't be any cooperation on anything."
Atencio responded, "I'm not saying let's do our own sewer plant or water plant. I'm saying let's gather the information that we can use even at a later date," such as how big a sewage treatment plant the town would need. "Let's start on something. We waited for them to give us information. What do we have? Nothing."
In the public hearing on the rate increases, a man complained that his sewer rate has doubled in four years. "It's getting out of hand," he said. "I'm thinking of selling my house."
Audience member Eppie Quintana said, "It was troubling to me that the tribe was completely unresponsive to our request. And that we're in the top 10 percent of rates in the region."
Garcia said he'd have information on the cost of three measuring devices for the Dec. 7 board meeting. Trustees also will approve the 2017 budget that night.
