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Town Hall scheduled to discuss Rehoboth's proposed wastewater & water rate structure

Courtesy of City of Rehoboth Beach

The City of Rehoboth Beach utility rate working group is proposing to revamp the resort’s utility rate structure. And a Town Hall meeting is planned for Saturday to discuss the issue.

 

The group was put together by Mayor Paul Kuhns - with four members from the community and three members from the City’s staff.

“To try to develop an update to our rate structure and our rates that we charge folks for water and sewer usage because of significant bills we have to pay with respect to paying back the cost for the Ocean Outfall ($40 million loan), paying for our Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrades ($30 million worth of repairs needed) and pay for all of the typical operation and maintenance costs we have with each of those utilities,” said Rehoboth public works director Kevin Williams - who notes the outfall required a $40 million loan and the treatment plant needed $30 million in repairs.

He says these costs led the Board of Commissioners to approve interim increases - 30% for water and  60$ for wastewater.

Williams says the group proposed water and sewer rate recommendations for every thousand gallons used - $14.70 for wastewater and $6.30 for water. Annual ready-to-serve fees between $124 and $452 are recommended for wastewater and between $42 and $154 annually for water.

Saturday’s Town Hall to discuss the increases starts at 10 a.m. in the Commissioners’ Room at City Hall.

 

Williams says it's hoped the Commissioners will aprove the new rates before the end of summer and the new rates would then go into effect Oct. 1, 2019.

 

Kelli Steele has over 30 years of experience covering news in Delaware, Baltimore, Winchester, Virginia, Phoenix, Arizona and San Diego, California.