City Manager Katie Smiddy said the increases are for operational and anticipated capital needs.
“First and foremost, we need to do a water utility master plan so we can get our arms around all the assets we have in the water system,” she said, which includes water mains, meters, service lines and wells.
A study is underway that will take three to six months to complete that will look at the system as a whole to determine which improvements are needed and to prioritize them by risk and need, Smiddy said, so the city can be proactive and not reactive.
“We want to make sure the city is able to continue supplying water to the residents of Oakwood,” she said.
The minimum monthly water rate will rise by just over 22%, according to the city. The consumption rate for usage above the minimum increases by the same percentage, from $3.30 to $4.13 per 100 cubic feet (748 gallons of water).
Residential customers in Oakwood typically use between 300 and 900 cubic feet of water per month, according to city records.
The minimum monthly sanitary sewer rate will stay the same. However, the consumption rate above the minimum will increase by just over 22% from $4.41 to $5.51 per 100 cubic feet of water.
Minimum charges are billed regardless of occupancy or usage.
Councilwoman Leigh Turben said the increases were reviewed by the city’s Budget Review Committee. In the first reading of the ordinance on Monday, she said the council has determined the recommended changes are justified and necessary, “and will benefit the general health, safety and welfare of the citizens of Oakwood.”
Refuse collection will remain $35 a month for single-family homes, and the stormwater management rate for those same households will stay $10 a month, according to the proposal.
The Oakwood City Council is expected to approve the rate increases at its Dec. 1 meeting.
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