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Council set to approve water rate increases
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| A realtor's sign is seen on the lawn of a foreclosed home in this March 15 file photo. (Associated Press file photo) |
Lawmakers to allow mull program to deal with foreclosed, vacant homes
By ADAM GOLDSTEIN
The Aurora Sentinel
AURORA | City council members are expected to give their final approval Monday, Nov. 17, to proposed increases in the city’s water rates.
The proposed rate hikes, which would raise water fees by 8 percent and 7.5 percent in 2010, is slated for a final vote during the Nov. 17 regular council meeting. The increases would translate to an added monthly fee of $5.53 for 2009 and another $5.44 for 2010 for medium lot users in Aurora. They come as a continuation of last year’s rate restructuring, which followed widespread protests from residents regarding unreasonable increases.
This latest round of fee increases has earned the initial approval of many council members who have pointed to higher rate spikes in other cities including Colorado Springs, which boosted users’ fees fourfold.
“We think we were very reasonable with an 8-percent increase next year and a 7.5-percent increase the following year,” said City Councilman and Water Policy Committee Chairman Bob FitzGerald during an October study session.
Officials from Aurora Water have pointed to the proposed increases as a way to maintain the department’s bond rating, stating that even a minimal increase to the 2009 bonds’ interest rates could translate into millions of dollars in added debt over 30 years.
The suggested increases also come in response to an estimated 3.5-percent increase in Aurora Water’s operating costs last year, a spike that stems in part from rising costs in chemicals, pipes, fuels and other materials. Aurora Water has already proposed a 3.5-percent cut in its budget, a slash that would eliminate specific costs and two full-time positions.
The measure passed the Water Policy Committee in September and two rounds of votes before the full council last month.
Monday’s council meeting could also see the initial approval of a proposed ordinance designed to deal with the increasing number of foreclosed properties in Aurora, a measure that would require lenders to register vacant, abandoned properties with the city’s Neighborhood Services department. Lenders would also have to pay a registration fee, which city staff has recommended to be set at $50.
Failure to pay the fee would result in a lien against the property and an added toll of $150 for every 90 days the lender fails to comply with the city’s standards. The measure would also require lenders to place such properties on a monthly inspection schedule, making sure that they comply with the city’s code standards regarding upkeep and maintenance.
Councilman FitzGerald helped push the legislation, which has also been reviewed by the city’s Code Enforcement Policy Committee, the Aurora Foreclosure Task Force and the Aurora Association of Realtors’ Governmental Affairs Committee.
“I’ve talked to people that are really upset, because there are five or six foreclosures on various stretches of various blocks,” FitzGerald said during a presentation to the code enforcement committee in August. “I think that it can benefit Aurora. There’s this little middle ground between the owner and the lender. This would give the lenders the right to come in and cure the land and hopefully upgrade the values of the particular neighborhood.”
The proposed rate hikes, which would raise water fees by 8 percent and 7.5 percent in 2010, is slated for a final vote during the Nov. 17 regular council meeting. The increases would translate to an added monthly fee of $5.53 for 2009 and another $5.44 for 2010 for medium lot users in Aurora. They come as a continuation of last year’s rate restructuring, which followed widespread protests from residents regarding unreasonable increases.
This latest round of fee increases has earned the initial approval of many council members who have pointed to higher rate spikes in other cities including Colorado Springs, which boosted users’ fees fourfold.
“We think we were very reasonable with an 8-percent increase next year and a 7.5-percent increase the following year,” said City Councilman and Water Policy Committee Chairman Bob FitzGerald during an October study session.
Officials from Aurora Water have pointed to the proposed increases as a way to maintain the department’s bond rating, stating that even a minimal increase to the 2009 bonds’ interest rates could translate into millions of dollars in added debt over 30 years.
The suggested increases also come in response to an estimated 3.5-percent increase in Aurora Water’s operating costs last year, a spike that stems in part from rising costs in chemicals, pipes, fuels and other materials. Aurora Water has already proposed a 3.5-percent cut in its budget, a slash that would eliminate specific costs and two full-time positions.
The measure passed the Water Policy Committee in September and two rounds of votes before the full council last month.
Monday’s council meeting could also see the initial approval of a proposed ordinance designed to deal with the increasing number of foreclosed properties in Aurora, a measure that would require lenders to register vacant, abandoned properties with the city’s Neighborhood Services department. Lenders would also have to pay a registration fee, which city staff has recommended to be set at $50.
Failure to pay the fee would result in a lien against the property and an added toll of $150 for every 90 days the lender fails to comply with the city’s standards. The measure would also require lenders to place such properties on a monthly inspection schedule, making sure that they comply with the city’s code standards regarding upkeep and maintenance.
Councilman FitzGerald helped push the legislation, which has also been reviewed by the city’s Code Enforcement Policy Committee, the Aurora Foreclosure Task Force and the Aurora Association of Realtors’ Governmental Affairs Committee.
“I’ve talked to people that are really upset, because there are five or six foreclosures on various stretches of various blocks,” FitzGerald said during a presentation to the code enforcement committee in August. “I think that it can benefit Aurora. There’s this little middle ground between the owner and the lender. This would give the lenders the right to come in and cure the land and hopefully upgrade the values of the particular neighborhood.”
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Grywolf20 wrote on Nov 17, 2008 6:09 AM: