KINGSLAND - Mayor Sharon Crosby told the Kingsland City Council last Thursday that the city will be seeing a significant rate increase for water and sewer service once a statemandated rate study is completed next month. She also announced that the city will once again begin shutting off water service to customers with past due bills.
Meanwhile, the city council decided to table a decision on renewing its contract with the Cleveland County Sheriff's Department until Crosby could learn more about what kind of police coverage the contract provides.
All of those issues were addressed during the Kingsland City Council's regular monthly meeting held last Thursday at Kingsland City Hall.
Crosby told the council that Trey Foster, an engineer with Civil Engineering Associates of Conway, is close of finishing his rate study for the city's water and sewer services. She said those findings will likely be presented to the council during its October meeting.
The mayor explained that the rate study and subsequent rate increases are a result of Act 605 of 2021. The new state law requires every public water and/or wastewater provider in the state to conduct a rate study to determine how much revenue is needed to operate and maintain the system(s). The law requires those providers with 500 or fewer customers to have the rate study completed by July 1, 2024.
The state law requires the water/wastewater provider to implement the rates determined by the study. Failure to do so can result in the state taking over the system.
During last week's meeting, Betty Graham, office manager for the Kingsland Water Department, pointed out that the city budgeted $40,000 from its general fund to support the wastewater system this year and about $30,000 had already been spent. In addition, she said the balance in the water department fund continues to decline each month.
Crosby said the last water rate increase the city had was in...
To access content, please login or purchase a subscription.