AP Council Approves Water Rate Increase
By MARC VALERO

AVON PARK — Rates for citizens and business owners who use city water are set to increase with the city council approving the first reading of an ordinance adjusting the fees.

The council unanimously voted Monday for a 3 percent increase despite a consulting firm’s recommendation for a smaller increase (2.37 percent).

Long ago the council decided to increase the rates annually by 3 percent, Deputy Mayor George Hall said. “We are going backwards on something we already fought.”

The ordinance implements the increase in capacity fees, tap and connection fees and other miscellaneous fees.

Water tap fees charged by the city for the installation of a water meter within or outside the city will increase 50 percent, according to the ordinance.

The impact fees are replaced with capacity fees. This results in an increase, for a 3/4 x 5/8 inch meter within the city, from $350 to $980. The increase for a 6 inch meter inside the city would be from $650 to $32,650.

There are a couple of reasons the (impact) capacity fees are increasing substantially, City Manger C.B. Shirey said. “We haven’t raised those fees since I’ve been with the city [July 1994] so the fees we have on the books are really out of date and those changes were based on the [water rate] study we commissioned.”

Deposits for water service would increase from $85 to $100 for a single-family residence.

The sewer rates will also increase, according to the ordinance. The monthly residential flat rate is slated to increase from $17 to $24
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The public hearing and adoption of the utility rate ordinance is scheduled for April 12 with an effective date of May 1.