Utilities costs go down for Sultan residents

SULTAN — People should see a change in their March water and recycle utility bills.

Those bills will be lower than originally planned.

On Thursday, the City Council approved changes in both rates that will save an average household $3.35 a month.

These savings result from a council decision to postpone, for at least a year, switching the city’s water meters to electronic from mechanical. The city originally wanted to increase the water rate by 11 percent to pay the $77,000 for the new meters and their installation. The increase meant the base rate would jump to $35.52, from $31.96.

Instead, the 1,650 ratepayers will see their March bill increase 71 cents and paying $32.67.

The increase is still needed because the extra funds will be used to pay for a fire flow generator to service east of Sultan, city clerk Laura Koenig said.

In a second decision, the council reduced recycle recollection rates by 50 cents, dropping the cost to $8.85, from $9.35.

The decrease comes after staff did the utility rate analysis last year, and found they could cut administrative costs, Koenig said. The city charges 1,427 ratepayers in behalf of Allied Waste.