The Little Rock Board of Directors will likely vote Tuesday on whether to approve a series of sewer rate increases, a city spokesman said.
Members of the public will have a chance to submit comment cards on the rate increase ordinance and address the board before a vote takes place. If the board approves the ordinance, 4.75 percent rate increases would be put in place each year from 2017 to 2021.
The board first heard a presentation of the Little Rock Wastewater proposal at this week's board meeting that set the agenda for Tuesday's 6 p.m. meeting at City Hall, 500 W. Markham St.
Little Rock Wastewater had anticipated the ordinance would be read at three separate meetings, putting a vote off until mid-September to allow ample time for public comment on the plan. But Little Rock Communication and Marketing Manager Jennifer Godwin said Wednesday that there is no plan to postpone a vote, as the public can make comments at and before Tuesday's meeting.
The city board can decide to suspend the rules and have three required readings of the ordinance in one night, which would allow a vote Tuesday. The board does that with most ordinances, but when approving the last round of sewer rate increases in 2012, a vote was delayed for several months after the initial reading of the ordinance.
City directors had fewer questions about this round of proposed rate increases. Most of the directors at this week's meeting indicated support for the rate schedule.
The increases would raise $212.9 million to mitigate citywide sewer overflows. Little Rock Wastewater Chief Executive Officer Greg Ramon plans to tackle that feat by replacing faulty sewer pipes, conducting a condition assessment of all the utility's pipes that are larger than 18 inches and expanding a program that helps property owners pay to replace their privately owned pipes.
Metro on 07/30/2015