Sewer Rate Increase.

The Budget Ways and Means committee met Monday evening in City Hall. The committee discussed the sewer rate increase CW&EP is proposing and agreed that it is better to allow the increase now than to phase the increase in. The rate increase will go into effect July 1st. Residential customers will see their sewer cost rise from $4.62 per month to $11.99 and higher depending on the size of the meter. The increase will also effect commercial businesses.

The increase comes from a sewer rehabilitation project that CW&EP is currently working on. The rehabilitation consists of replacing the old clay tile pipes that are cracked and collapsing.

CW&EP General Manager Bob Williams was present at the meeting and stated that phasing in the project wasn’t going to work.

"We don’t like to raise rates," said Williams, "but we have to bite the bullet now and get it done. The clay pipes are going to continue to give us problems. By phasing the project in , our cost go up. Our per foot charge goes up doing it a line at a time."

Williams stated that the CW&EP has 78 miles of wastewater pipe and 5% has already been completed. He said 20 of the 78 miles is the newer pipe and has proven to stand up better than clay tile.

The committee voted unanimously in favor of sending CW&EP’s fiscal year 2004/2005 budget to Council for approval.

Looks like the City budget is ‘bout set. From what I’m seein’ there will be just over a hundred fifty grand in spendable reserves. On top of that there is the 25% of operatin’ revenues that is "emergency reserves". That amounts to around $1.6 million.

Other funds that are there but are for specific purposes include the $700,000 generated by the sale of Myers Park property. That money is earmarked for infrastructure improvements to the Myers Park Development. Another $300,000 is earmarked for the proposed Fairview/I-71 interchange. Missin’ from this year’s budget is a couple hundred grand that was supposed to be used to improve Civil War Road. Guess it just got gobbled up. The Landfill Closure fund, in case we have to clean up somethin’ out there, will be about $450,000 by the end of the year.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Carthage Printing

HERE’S A TIP

By JoAnn Derson

• "The next time something you are cooking in the oven bubbles over, pour salt on the spill. The salt makes oven stains easier to clean up. You can also try putting a cookie sheet with a little water in it on the shelf beneath a casserole dish. This catches drips and still allows the heat to circulate under the casserole dish. This won’t work for all baked dishes, though, especially those needing a higher cooking temperature." — A.B. in Ontario, Canada

• "Use cotton swabs to touch up painting jobs. They are small enough to get into tight spaces, and the best part is that they are disposable." — Joe D. in Kansas City, Kan.

• "When purchasing clothes for someone in a care facility, as well as looking for garments that are comfortable and stylish, make sure you buy garments that do not require special care, like ironing or dry cleaning. Also, be sure they are labeled clearly with the person’s name." — Caregiver in Detroit

• "I have lost more than 30 pounds in the past year. Every time I go down a dress size, I give away the clothes that are too big. It gives me added incentive to maintain the weight loss." — Jill H. in Phoenix

• "Marinated meats pack so much extra flavor, but it’s messy to turn the meat repeatedly for even coating. And who has refrigerator space for pans of meat? I put the marinade ingredients in a large zip-lock plastic bag, then put in the meat. Once the bag is sealed, all I have to do is squish the marinade around to distribute, and it takes up much less space in the refrigerator." — B.Y. via e-mail

• Sunscreen is very important — not only when you are going to be outdoors for long periods of time, but for everyday wear. Why not purchase a lotion with added SPF? That way, you can protect your skin as you moisturize. And when applying sunblock for longer outdoor periods, don’t forget your hands and feet.