Water and sewer rate increase approved

Melissa Conrad
For the Republican

August 06, 2009 09:24 am

— Rushville Common Council President William Goins was the last to arrive for Tuesday night’s meeting. Goins, along with other community leaders, volunteers and residents, spent Tuesday—sometimes waist deep in water—clearing drainage debris and fighting back the storm water that nearly forced the evacuation of Rush Memorial Hospital.
Hospital CEO Brad Smith appeared before the Council to personally thank the city employees, many of whom were still at work on Rushville’s water-logged streets, parks and businesses.
“Without them, the hospital would have been underwater right now,” Smith said. “It’s remarkable how everyone pitched in and helped.”
Goins thanked everyone for their help throughout the day during the flooding rains in Rushville citing numerous areas where crews continued to work.
“Residents had never seen the water that high,” Goins said. “It’s been a mess but I can’t give enough praise. Every employee of Rushville was doing something to help today.”
Goins also raised a concern over the danger of children he saw playing in the water, especially near Hodge’s Branch in North and South Veterans Memorial Park.
The Council also approved first reading of Ordinance 2009-3 with a motion by Buckley and second by Goins that will increase water and sewer rates for residents. Rates have not been adjusted in seven years and a rate study was presented by Johyn Skomp of Crowe Horwath from Indianapolis. The purpose of the report was to estimate the Rushville Municipal Water Utility’s cash flow and financial capacity to meet its ongoing revenue requirements for operation and maintenance expenses, present and proposed debt service and lease payments, and to make capital improvements to the utility’s system.
Crowe calculated than an across-the-board rate increase of 20 percent would be required. The customer who uses minimum water would experience a $2.24 increase and a $2.20 a month increase for sewer. Average users would experience a $4.25 increase for water and a $4.25 a month increase for sewer.
Rates for surrounding areas were compared.
With the rate increase, Rushville would be lower than communities like Knightstown, Carthage, and Greenfield but just above Greensburg, Shelbyville and New Castle. Many of the improvement to Rushville’s water and sewer systems are required by the state.
Trena Carter from Administrative Resources association was on hand for the first reading and public hearing on a grant application for $600,000 with matching funds of $153,101 needed to address numerous sewer line issues, pipe rehabilitation and a lift station in Rushville including lines along State Road 44, 14th Street and Main Street. This is the first step in the grant process. The full application is due Oct. 2 and another public hearing will be scheduled with notice published in September.
Copley scheduled another city budget work session with Council members for 4 p.m. Wednesday 12 at City Hall.
Ordinance 2009-2 affecting golf carts owners was approved on a narrow 3-2 vote with Goins and Shelton opposed and Humphrey, McGowan and Buckley supporting. The two opposed to the ordinance favored a version of the ordinance that did not restrict operation after dark. The passed ordinance requires owners to only operate golf carts on city streets between sunrise and sunset, have a slow moving vehicle sign or flashing lights, a valid driver’s license and proof of insurance. The ordinance will go into affect in 30 days and violators will face a Class C infraction.

Melissa Conrad is a southern Rush County resident and freelance writer. Add a comment at www.rushvillerepublican.com.