Water, trash rates to increase
by Dolores Hamilton
Beginning with the October billing cycle, all Iowa Park water customers will see an increase in their water rates and an increase in the fees charged for residential solid waste collection and disposal services. There will also be an increase in rates charged in the city’s wholesale water contracts with Wichita Valley Water Supply Corporation,Horseshoe Bend Estates Homeowners’ Association, and the Iowa Park School District.

These increases were approved during the regular meeting of the Iowa Park City Council Monday night.

The increase in the city’s water rates was caused by the need to pick up debt service for the water system improvements in 2005, and a 20 percent increase in the rate of wholesale water purchased from Wichita Falls.

City Administrator Mike Price told the council members that Iowa Park carries the lowest rate of any entity that purchases water from Wichita Falls because we have our own lines to transport the water.

The minimum bill for water customers inside the city limits will increase from $12 to $15.50 monthly for the first 2,000 gallons of water. The fee charged all residential customers for solid waste collection and disposal services will increase from $11.30 to $12 per month.

Amount of the increase in the city’s wholesale water contracts include: Wichita Valley Water Supply Corp., from $2.60 to $2.80 per 1,000 gallons of water; Horseshoe Bend Homeowner’s Association.,$2.32 to $2.65 per 1,000 gallons; and Iowa Park CISD,$3.15 to $4 per thousand.

There will also be an increase in the cost for utilizing the city’s dump trucks for disposal of heavy or bulky solid waste items. The increase became effective Monday night and the price will go up from $20 to $30 for each time rented. The raise in price was caused by the city’s increased cost to provide the trucks and IESI’s increase in its minimum tipping fee from $7 to $15.72 per trip.

In other action, the council established a tax rate of $0.675 per $100 of property valuation, the same as last year,and adopted the General Fund and Water and Sewer Fund operating budgets for fiscal year 2008/2009.

The General Fund budget contains revenues of $3,084,340 and expenditures of $3,083,600. The Water and Sewer Fund budget for the fiscal year contains revenue of $2,711,700 and expenditures of $2,709,820.

A public hearing was held to determine if three vehicles abandoned on private property at 104 W. Emerald should be abated in accordance with the junked vehicle regulations.

The owner of the vehicles told the council that he had moved one of them and was about to move another. He said that he was going to put a fence up this week to hide the third vehicle.

Council members voted to given him 60 days to get rid of the vehicles.

Nineteen people who were appointed to serve on the task force for the “Alliance for Youth” program were approved by the council.

Those named to the task force include: Michelle Byrne, Craig French, Rev. Mark Gentry, Kevin Hamilton, Police Chief Robert Johnson, Don Ehlert, Carl Watson, Dan Bragdon, Zac Davis, Karen Skasick, J.C. Elliott, Rena Bevers , David Owen, Valerie Dillard, Jon Hicks, Dana Ross, and Cole Yarbrough. Council members Dan Fears and Sherrie Williams were also appointed to the committee.

The task force will be divided into two sub-committees, with a council member serving on each one. The first meeting of the group will be Oct. 6, at 7 p.m. in the Economic Development building.

Other action taken by the council included the approval of:
Approving the city’s on-line training policy;
Amending the Code of Ordinances to establish regulations for the construction, installation and operation of small wind energy systems;
Rezoning of Block 115 of the Original Townsite from Light Industrial to Automotive Commercial and Commercial Recreation;
The re-plat of Lots 1 and 3 of the Iowa Park Industrial District;
The re-plat of Lots 10 and 11 of Block 60, Original Townsite;
Abandoning all 150 feet of the city-owned right-of-way in the 100 block of South Park Ave. adjoining Lot 1 in Block N and Lot 1-A in Block O of the Original Townsite.