Utility Board member: Commissioners spread confusion on rate increase

ALBANY — Albany Utility Board Commissioner Bob Hutchinson challenged certain Albany city commissioners to do their homework at the Utility Board’s monthly meeting Thursday morning, saying some on the City Commission are guilty of spreading confusion about plans to increase utility fees.

The Utility Board voted at its April 21 meeting to recommend that the City Commission approve small increases, amounting to $3.49 per month, in water, stormwater and solid waste fees to account for inflationary costs. Although city commissioners gave tentative approval of the increase at their may 3 work meeting, Hutchinson said comments by some commissioners led to unnecessary concern in the community.

“(Assistant City Manager) Phil (Roberson) did an excellent job of explaining why these minimal increases were necessary for our water, stormwater and solid waste fees,” Hutchinson said. “But some of the media just put it out there that there was a rate increase without an explanation, and then some of the city commissioners made comments that showed they hadn’t gotten the information on the need for the increases.

“Bottom line, we on this board understand that there are people in our community who are struggling and on fixed incomes. But if we didn’t make these small increases along the way to make sure our infrastructure is in order, it could cost millions of dollars down the road. Look, I’m not running for any office, I’m just standing up for what’s right. I’d rather put my head down and vote for what’s right than to put the city and our utility customers in a tough situation.”

Hutchinson singled out Ward IV Commissioner Roger Marietta for comments Marietta made at the City Commission meeting.

“Commissioner Marietta made out like we were just sitting over here voting to raise rates without any concern about the consequences,” the Utility Board commissioner said. “But it was clear that he didn’t understand the reason for these increases. If he had questions, he had plenty of time to ask them.

“We’re appointed to this board to do a job on behalf of the community. If they don’t respect the work that we do, there’s no need in us being here.”

Marietta and Ward I Commissioner Jon Howard voted against the increase.

Marietta was out of town Thursday and unable to attend the Utility Board meeting, but he said his opposition to the proposed increases had to do with providing relief for mostly senior citizens on fixed income.

“I said before the vote (on the increase) that I wanted to see action to provide better customer service for our seniors and poor people on fixed incomes,” Marietta said. “I want us to augment (the Utility Board’s) HOPE program (which provides funding to help poor ratepayers), and I want people whose utilities are in danger of being cut off to get notification ahead of time.

“I have always respected Bob Hutchinson, and I have told him that I’m ready to vote for the increase if (the Utility Board) can show that they have a plan in place to provide relief. I know that $3.49 is not a significant amount for someone who has a job, but for the poor and the people on fixed incomes who are calling me, it does make a difference.”

Roberson explained again at Thursday’s Utility Board meeting the reasons for the proposed increases, which are 60 cents for water, $1.75 for stormwater and $1.09 for solid waste.

“Three or four years ago the county implemented, at our suggestion, regular tipping fee increases at the landfill to account for the Consumer Price Index,” Roberson said. “What they’d been doing was making increases only when they became absolutely necessary, and sometimes that would be a significant increase. By raising fees to go along with inflation, it’s never more than a few cents.

“The increase in the water rates will allow us to meet increasingly stringent federal and state quality regulations, and the stormwater fee will allow us to not only inspect all of our infrastructure over a five-year period but to make repairs as well. Our plan all along was to gradually bring that cost up, but we got off track last year. These increases will allow us to meet state and federal mandates.”

Hutchinson said he was surprised at some city commissioners’ dismissal of the Utility Board’s work.

“I went before the City Commission (at the recent work meeting) to try and explain that we had worked with the finance department, the budget committee, staff and the mayor before we made this recommendation (on the increases). It was a decision that had to be made.

“I was asked to talk with a group from the Indian Creek subdivision about the increases, and when I explained that by doing this now, we could head off large increases and fines down the road they said, ‘Well, we understand that. There’s no need in wasting your time because (the Utility Board) did what you felt was best for the community.’ The people understand when they’re given the facts. They don’t want a Flint, Michigan, down here. It doesn’t help when their elected officials don’t have those facts and don’t bother to get them.”

Also at Thursday’s meeting, the Utility Board recommended approval of a $235,513.75 bid by Triple S Communications of Moultrie to assist the Utility Board with utility expansion on U.S. Highway 82. Director of Utility Operations Jimmy Norman said the Moultrie company will help with the installation of telecom fiber and gas lines.

“We have about eight projects going on in that corridor now, so we sent out a bid to supplement our own forces in that work,” Norman said. “As soon as this is approved by the City Commission, we’ll put them to work.”