Irricana council approved utility rates for 2016 that will see residents paying more for services.
Per two-month billing period in 2015, a typical household was paying about $139 for utilities, while the February 2016 utility bill is estimated to be $163 due to an increase of water rates to match the realistic cost of water.
Chief Administrative Officer Geoff Stephenson compared the 2015 utility rates of Drumheller at $142.80, Airdrie at $150.78 and Strathmore at $163.38, and said many people have wondered how Irricana has been able to provide the services for significantly less.
“There’s a reason we do it so cheap,” Stephenson said. “We hide it in our taxes, we’ve been doing it for a great number of years.”
With a proposed cost of $4.67 per cubic metre, it is predicted a household, measured by about 15 cubic metres of water used, will be billed $70.05 per billing period, a $35.64 increase from 2014.
Councillor Lora Peterson argued the increase is too much, but Mayor Valerie Squires and Deputy Mayor Dennis Tracz agreed the increase reflects the real cost of water.
“If we don’t capture this now, we’ll end up paying for it in our taxes anyways,” Squires said. “This way, it’s at least honest and out.”
The council agenda package proposed, “While this is a large increase, the net effect to a resident is an offsetting decrease in taxes.”
Council also voted to end a recycling partnership with Rocky View County that, in 2015, cost residents $3.50 per utility billing period, but could rise to an expected cost of $11.38 or possibly even as high as $30.70 in 2016, according to Stephenson.
Tracz, who made the motion to accept the utility rate option that eliminated the service, said Irricana now had two competing services as the Town had rolled out curbside recycling in October.
“I see no value in continuing with Rocky View if we have curbside pickup,” Tracz said.
Squires disagreed, stating Irricana does not have the avenues for appliance recycling and electronics, as well as hazardous material like paint cans without that agreement with the County.
The 2016 utility rates passed 3-1, with Squires as the single opposition vote.
Council meeting dates
Council voted to drop to one council meeting on the third Monday of each month at 7 p.m. and adopt a reoccurring committee of the whole meeting on the first Monday of each month at 7 p.m.
The motion, made by Tracz, was put forward as a means to have a working meeting at the beginning of the month with the committee of the whole where bylaws and other matters could be reviewed, and have the council meeting be more of a presentation of what council proposes.
“That way, we can get the work done and when it comes to the council meeting it’s a quick here you go,” Tracz said.
Squires expressed concern that if pressing matters were to come to the forefront, Irricana may not benefit from only having one council meeting a month.
Tracz countered if any matter of that nature were to arise, a special council meeting could be called for the exact same meeting time as the committee of the whole.
Peterson agreed with the motion, seeing it as a means for council to be more efficient.
“We only have this year and next year left to get business done and we’re getting behind,” Peterson said. “We need to get caught up.”
