Hancock will increase the city’s water and sewer rates for the first time since 2019. Last night the city council approved increasing the water and sewer rates residents and business are charged in utility fees. The new rates will reflect the increase in cost to provide water from Adams Township, and continue to cover three bonds for city infrastructure.
We have a 2008, 2011, and 2016 bonds that will be on record for quite a while. This was done to improve the infrastructure in the city. And so now we’re just kind of correcting the rates to make sure they’re covering the debt fee. So the new debt fee will be $17.56 for average household and a thousand gallon usage will be $7.92. So it would be normally $16.67 for the straight just the water. And now it’s going to be for just a thousand gallons it will be $25.40. And that’s just the water use. So it’s putting the biggest burden would be on somebody that has a thousand gallons. So if you have 5,000 gallons, it’ll be more like a $3 increase for the usage for average household. 5,000 gallons is normally a five-person household. That’s how it’s defined by the American Water Works Association. And that would go into effect on May 16th. – Mary Babcock, City Manager, City of Hancock
City Manager Mary Babcock says the debt fee rate will increase to $17.56 per household, and the rate per 1000 gallons will raise to $7.92.
We have not increased water rates since 2019 overall and the cost have definitely increased so we need to increase the water rates because there’s a lot more items that we have to do for to make sure water safe and drinkable for the public and those things all have to be taken into consideration and how we’re going to use it in the budget. – Mary Babcock, City Manager, City of Hancock
One resident stood during the public hearing to ask the city to clarify how the increase will impact properties using less than 5000 gallons in a month. City Manager Babcock explained that while it appears that properties using more are charged less, the rate works out to equal the same percentage increase to households.
For like somebody that has a six inch meter, which would be a large consumer in the city, they would have a once a month charge for the debt fee of $1,150 approximately. So their debt fee compared to our average household is $17.62 compared to the large meter, large user. But their usage per thousand gallons is the same as everybody’s. Everybody pays the same amount per thousand gallons of usage. – Mary Babcock, City Manager, City of Hancock
Before starting on the council’s agenda mayor Rickard introduced three new items, including moving the site where the Bridgefest fireworks launch on the north side of the canal. Councilor Wendy Warstler expressed homeowners still feel the new site is too close to home when considering elevation, due the angle homes measure to the launch site.
I don’t think moving it down the road is going to take away the concerns of having it where it was before. Has someone gone there to measure it? – Councilor Wendy Wartsler, City of Hancock
City Manager Mary Babcock explained that the safety diameter perimeter was measured using the city’s CAD program it uses during infrastructure projects. Councilor Warstler shared residents who used a range finder device found homes will still fall within the designated boundary. Babcock expressed fireworks professionals feel comfortable with the new site and its distance from homes. Noting that professionals referenced range finders are notoriously inaccurate.
But when people went down and used the range finder, it was very different. – Councilor Wendy Warstler, City of Hancock
from what the research and talking to this gentleman, he says they are very inaccurate. And I think we have to have some trust in the professionals that are putting this on because they do not want to endanger anybody either. And he was very emphatic about that, not wanting to put anybody at risk. – Mary Babcock, City Manager, City of Hancock
Babcock says the new site has moved to private property and a fireworks display of this size needs approved by the city to function. Babcock shared, every industry professional she has talked with says the new site should lessen risk to the Navy Street neighborhood.
These people do this for a living and this conversation about the height, they definitely feel that you’re safer up above than you are if you’re 210 feet back from them. That is their fact-finding on that. I don’t know any differently and we haven’t had any issues yet. The insurance certificate came up last time and previous meetings and this one lists the city of Hancock is additional insured. So we are covered by that. We always were. So they would prefer to do the other site, but they will I mean, this is this site for this year. And I don’t know of another option to put them. And the property owners are in agreement – Mary Babcock, City Manager, City of Hancock
The city council approved the new site of the Bridgefest fireworks. Councilor Warstler voted against the new site, citing concerns from homeowners and the proximity to the neighborhood. Bridgefest fireworks will launch from a new site on below Navy Street along the Portage Canal.
