Dubuque Times

The Maquoketa City Council reluctantly voted to make changes to the City's utility rates to pay for a state-mandated renovation of the City's wastewater treatment plant.

During the council's Feb. 20 meeting, officials were presented with an ordinance related to the massive renovation and upgrade that has been mandated by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR). City administrator Josh Boldt said that because of concrete life issues, equipment breakdown and other upgrades, the City had to accept a construction bid of $16,280,000 this year to get the plant's infrastructure up to code with the DNR. Boldt said the bid was much higher than previously estimated, and the City would do whatever possible to bring costs down.

"There's other communities that have it worse," Boldt said in the meeting. "And I realize that's relative. But at least we have 2,500 accounts to lean on as a community here on how to afford this thing. There's other communities like Goose Lake, and I've heard of Andover having this situation as well. ...[Monticello is] dealing with a similar problem, and they have a 20-million-plus project right now. So I don't mean to downplay the seriousness of what's happening here before you, but I just want to at least let you know of what other communities are facing."

Because of the DNR mandate, increasing inflation and supply prices, the board proposed a minimum $5 fee increase on all sewer bills in the city to make up for the gap in the budget caused by the project. In addition to the $5 hike on individual accounts, an extra $7.50 charge will be added to commercial accounts.

"I don't know what can be done about it at this point other than the fact that I think that the DNR will eventually hear how some of these policy decisions are hitting Main Street," Boldt added. "So if that's a conversation that you as a council or individuals want to engage their legislators with, they should do so. But for us as a City that's mandated to do this project within a certain time frame and also having to be doing these debt payments, there's no way to flatline our revenue on this particular project without this fee. And I apologize to bring it to you, but it's kind of where we have to be."

Thanks to the state mandate, the $5 fee to all city water bills will be added until the project is completed and loans are repaid, Boldt said.