By Kimberly Gasuras
CCN Reporter
BUCYRUS — During the Bucyrus City Council meeting Tuesday evening, Mayor Jeff Reser announced that residents will be faced with another water rate increase.
“Service Safety Director Jeff Wager will be announcing a water rate increase effective July 1,” Reser said. “We need to increase our revenue to be able to pay back the loans that have built our new plant.”
City auditor Joyce Schifer said the second payment on the loan is due in July.
“We have been able to delay increases because of sound fiscal management along with favorable interest rates and terms,” Reser said. “Rest assured that we are looking at every expense line in our water treatment department budget to be able to keep future rate increases to a minimum.”
Residents can expect to see a 10-percent increase on their July bills.
Reser pointed out the water rate had not been increased for 12 years prior to 2014 and only a small amount of money had been saved for the new treatment plant.
“This has been an undue burden to all of us and could have been avoided,” Reser said. “Please keep this in mind as rates are being set for all additional utilities including solid waste. At the very minimum, all rates must keep with the yearly cost of contracts.”
Reser also wanted residents to know that the city’s access channel has been moved from channel nine to 1021, due to Spectrum’s change to all-digital programming.
“For those that do not have the higher channels, we will be posting the videos of our council meetings on our YouTube channel online and there will be a link to it on the city’s website,” Reser said.
The city’s victims advocate, Sam Caldwell, gave an update to council on progress that has made since he took over the position a few months ago from Maggie Malloy.
“We have worked with well over 30 victims, mostly victims of domestic violence but other crimes too such as assaults and thefts,” Caldwell said.
Caldwell said he will be attending training on the new Marcy’s Law this summer that protects the constitutional rights of the victims of crime.
Council approved four pieces of legislation including a resolution pertaining to city property being sold via Internet auctions and ordinances regarding various appropriations, R-3 zoning amendment and an amendment to the language in section one of the ordinance passed in a special meeting last week to allow the auditor to apply for a bond anticipation note for repairs to the Aumiller Park Pool.
Several issues will be discussed during the council’s committee meetings beginning at 6 p.m. on Thursday including appointments to the Bucyrus Public Library Board tax incentive review council and changes to current legislation regarding trees throughout the city.
The next council meeting is June 19 at 7 p.m. in council chambers