For those in the City of Allegan who had a 1.5-inch water meter switched out to a 2-inch water meter, the water readiness-to-serve charge will be rising from $70.09 to $90.81. For those who have a 2-inch water meter, the charge will decrease from $122.67 to $115.30.
The adjustment will affect only 78 of the city’s 1,958 water customers and most of those affected are large commercial buildings or apartment complexes. The majority of customers use a five-eighths-inch meter.
The reason for the adjustment is after the city switched to Octave water meters, it was discovered Octave does not provide 1.5-inch water meters. The meters were switched out to 2-inch meters with no adjustments made in rates.
Recording of the data in the software program is now creating anomalies only the current city staff knows how to fix. If a turnover in staff occurs, the anomalies will continue and finance director Traci Stull said it needed to be adjusted so it would not continue into the future.
Since the city no longer offers a 1.5-inch meter, staff said it would not be fair to raise rates to a 2-inch water meter; therefore, they lowered the 2-inch charge by averaging the cost for both meter sizes.
The 10 customers whose readiness-to-serve charge will rise have been notified. Sixty-eight customers who already have 2-inch meters will see a decrease.
Allegan City Council members unanimously approved the water meter fee after a Dec. 10 public hearing.
Virginia Ransbottom can be contacted at vransbottom@allegannews.com or at (269) 673-5534.
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