Water and Sewer Hike back on the Agenda After Dec. Defeat

An ordinance calling for immediate rate increases for Talkeetna Sewer and Water customers which was rejected by the Borough Assembly in December is scheduled to be re-introduced with no changes at the January 17^th assembly meeting.

Ordinance 11-078, which was aimed at recouping financial shortfalls of the Water and Sewer utility, was defeated unanimously at the Assembly’s December 20^th meeting. Assemblyman Vern Halter called the ordinance an impossible proposition for the people of Talkeetna, who would not be able to afford the rate increases.

But the Borough comptroller had the ordinance reintroduced as ordinance number 12-015, in order to maintain the borough’s required balanced budget. Future assembly meetings will discuss how the defecit can be addressed. Halter has asked that a portion of Bed Tax revenues be used to cover a portion of the outstanding balance, but the legality of using bed tax revenues to cover the utility’s shortfall is uncertain.

The ordinance will be re-introduced at Tuesday’s meeting, and will likely be discussed at the meeting on February 7^th, after the Talkeetna Water and Sewer board has a chance to discuss the proposals.