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Frisco: Council votes to raise water, sewer rates
By Ann Marie Shambaugh, Staff Writer
Taking a shower or irrigating the lawn will become a little more expensive in Frisco after the City Council voted to raise water and sewer rates at its regular meeting Tuesday night.
The council set the minimum monthly residential water charge at $11, an increase of $1.23, and raised the cost per thousand gallons 41 cents between 2,000 gallons and 15,000 gallons used to $2.69.
Assistant City Manager Nell Lange said that the rate increase is necessary because the city had not increased the rate since 1994. During that time, the cost of purchasing water from the North Texas Municipal Water District increased dramatically, jumping 36 percent from 2003 to 2009 alone.
The minimum sewer charge will also increase from $9.70 to $11 per month with an increase of 28 cents per thousand gallons used after 2,000 gallons. A resident who uses 14,000 gallons of water per month is expected to see a 17 percent increase in his water bill and a 13 percent increase in the sewer bill.
The changes also include the addition of a fourth usage tier, which sets the price of 1,000 gallons at $3.39 after 25,000 gallons have been used. The previous top tier began at 15,000 gallons with a rate of $2.98.
City officials said the new rates are in line with those charged in nearby cities. The new minimum water bill is higher than the cost in Richardson, McKinney, and Allen, but lower than Plano’s at $13.79.
“I think it’s an appropriate way to allocate the resource, and it sets a fair price at the base level,” council member Bart Crowder said.
The council also:
*Approved an ordinance that sets minimum standards for installation of irrigation systems to comply with state law;
*Expressed support for proposed amendments to the Sexually Oriented Business ordinance, which are based on a study that shows that property values and crime rates are negatively affected by retail-only adult shops. The council is expected to vote on the amended ordinance at its next meeting; and,
*Proclaimed Tuesday as Phil Taylor Day in honor of the Frisco resident who creates portraits of local soldiers killed in battle as part of the Texas Fallen Soldiers Project.
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