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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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| 5th ward City Councilman Wantwaz Davis will be having a block club meeting at Doyle Ryder Elementary School, April 23, 2014, from 6pm to 7:30pm. Special Guess will be Howard Croft, director of DPW. Blight Coordinator Mr.Garcia. Someone from Land Bank, someone from the State police department, fire department, and from DCED department. Questions can be asked concerning water rates, demolishing houses, blight, potholes, grass being cut, public safety, ect. Hope to see you there. Public will be able to speak and ask questions. |
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Tue Apr 15, 2014 4:06 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Councilman Wantwaz Davis shared a link.
April 11
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I do not believe in this study, this is a great form of manipulation and deceit to keep running the poor out of flint. You mean to tell me that our water bills will be an additional $50.00. This is so wrong and I want all of the flint residents to know that I share your frustration.
Flint water system study recommends water, sewer rate increase
www.mlive.com
“If we kept the rates in place that we have today, we would be running a deficit,” said Tom Beckley, a senior manager for Raftelis |
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Tue Apr 15, 2014 4:07 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Tue Apr 15, 2014 4:09 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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By Dominic Adams | dadams5@mlive.com
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on April 10, 2014 at 8:47 PM, updated April 11, 2014 at 10:26 AM
Reddit
FLINT, MI – Water and sewer bills in Flint may have to increase more than $50 a year to pay for the services, a consultant's report says, because the rates customers are charged now aren't enough to support the city's water and sewer system.
A study, completed by Raftelis Consultants Inc., was revealed during the Flint City Council’s public works committee meeting Thursday, April 10, at City Hall.
“If we kept the rates in place that we have today, we would be running a deficit,” said Tom Beckley, a senior manager for Raftelis. “That deficit would increase each year. The story we’re conveying here is existing rates cannot support the system.”
Beckley outlined a suggested $52.56 annual increase to water and sewer rates for the average residential customer in 2015.
That amounts to a combined $4.38 increase per month for water, sewer and fixed charges.
If adopted, those rate increases would be lower using the Flint River and Karegnondi Water Authority than they would be if the city continued to buy water from Detroit.
The city is currently in the process of creating its 2015 and 2016 budget.
State officials on Thursday signed off on the permits needed for the city to begin using the Flint River for drinking water beginning next week.
The moves come because Flint contract to purchase water from Detroit will terminate on April 17. City officials have not said specifically when Flint will flip the switch to river water, although it has said publicly the goal is April 17.
Raftelis said if Flint water and sewer rates were raised by the amount the company suggests, such an increase in 2015 still would be $4.57 less per month than with Detroit water, $10.17 less in 2016 and $10.68 less in 2017.
The study also revealed Flint’s need to repair its aging system that was built to service nearly 200,000 residents.
“We have water lines and sewer lines – some of those lines in the city are well over 75 years old,” said Bill Stannard, Raftelis president and chief executive officer. “Things won’t get better if we ignore those problems.”
There will be a public forum to allow residents to ask questions about the study on Thursday, April 17.
“I think it’s a form of manipulation,” said Councilman Wantwaz Davis. “I don’t believe in the validity of it.”
He added that the study came out to what the city administration wanted.
“If you’re paying for the study, why wouldn’t you think it’s going to come out to your benefit?” Davis said.
Emergency Manager Darnell Earley approved $49,730 to fund Raftelis’ work.
Councilman Eric Mays wanted to know if Raftelis could do a study about what it would look like to drop customers’ rates by 20 percent.
“We can do the analysis, we can’t make the decisions,” Stannard said. “You’ve been the only one to ask that question.”
Staff Writer Ron Fonger contributed to this report.
Dominic Adams is a reporter for The Flint Journal. Contact him at dadams5@mlive.com or 810-241-8803. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Google+.
shanedr4 days ago
Garbage, if all the citizens with delinquent bills were shut off and all the water line breaks were repaired the savings would be more than adequate to eliminate the current deficient. It's the waste of our water by the City of Flint that runs the cost up. The billing is also atrocious. We are changed by a "unit" with the average bill being for 3 or 4 units. They need to charge by tenths of a unit. Right now 4 units are charged as $19.20 sewer, $21.70 for water with a total of 53.78 for being connected. If we were charged by the tenth of a unit it would be $1.92 for sewer and $2.17 for water by the tenth of a unit. The water department is being run like it was 50 years ago. Back then we were billed three months at a time at less than $15 total. The Service Charge needs to be reduced to a more reasonable figure, consumption computed by tenths of a unit and then the actual usage increased to account for the decrease in Service Charge. Right now we are being charged more for being connected than we are for our consumption and that's just stupid.
XFlintasite4 days ago
Also moved out of Flint and our water bill averages around $35.00 a month. But with global, for-profit corporations taking over water departments through "privatization", it seems likely everyone will be paying over $100.00/month. We also receive a full 1000 gallons per unit of water where Flint, I believe, is 750 gallons a unit. Water is the new high demand commodity globally and when that is now in the equation, will are all going to pay for this.
Creeker404 days ago
While so many of our residents have wanted to be supportive of the KWA, our officials have been promoting this activity with a caveat that our water rates would not be going up - now that we are not part of the Detroit water system. Again, here is another credibility gap between our elected/appointed officials that needs to be addressed immediately!!! I'm not looking for a free ride in all of this; I just want some honesty from governmental officials - at the local, state and national levels. We are losing faith in all of you.
jacksondm4 days ago
IF you had paid attention, you would have heard that the water rates will be largely unaffected until the bonds for the new water line are paid off. You also would have heard that the existing line will have to be replaced EITHER by the KWA OR Detroit -- and that line replacement will have to be paid for. Personally, Id rather trust my local folks that trust Detroit for the costs of the water line.
Dominic Adams | dadams5@mlive.com4 days ago
Here is a comment from The Flint Journal's Facebook page: "My monthly water bill is over $110 every month, after January 2015 I'm buying a house outside of Flint where it's $100 every three months." Do you share this reader's sentiment?
Jacobsmith4 days ago
My Flint water for the last twelve months, under 1000 gallons each month usage cost $1758.
Given that the "leadership" is going to further tax us illegally via more water costs I cannot justify living in Flint AND paying a 1300 dollar annual premium for water in ADDITION to the payroll taxes that people living half a mile from me do not suffer. (This doesn't even include Michigan having rapacious car insurance rates combined with awful home owner rates in Flint)
All the rah-rah-rah stuff about how anyone who doesn't like Flint can leave it is right, I love Flint, but frankly, why live in a third world ghetto at a cost far greater than that of areas with police protection, good water, roads and fire coverage?
Green Flight is the last stage before the city becomes a ghost town, no one sane is going to pay more to live in Flint.
Thomas Cummings4 days ago
one of these days im just gonna snap, abandon my house and move to jesus rock out in the desert to live with the hippies!!! IM SOOOOO TIRED OF GETTING HOSED BY THE CITY I WAS ONCE SO PROUD OF!!!! i wanted to retire in my home but its too expensive to live here anymore all while watching the uncontrolled thugs destroy your neighborhood!!!
jacobsmith4 days ago
I would like to blame this on the felons, racists, bigots and other ne'er–do–wells we have had in our political offices since the early seventies. but the real truth is that citizens are the problem. Flint voters are generally proud of ignorance and it shows in their selections.
They start increasing costs again and I am walking away from my house in Flint. The bank will go after me and win a judgment which will be far cheaper in the long run, the property will go to the land bank, and I never have to pay stupid citizens tax again.
Someone should have stopped them from raiding the water and sewer funds and never did, blatant malfeasance at work. This is what happens when you allow shaky financial management and use amateurs as oversight.
ic23b4 days ago
"Councilman Eric Mays wanted to know if Raftelis could do a study about what it would look like to drop customers’ rates by 20 percent."
Why? If they are going to lose money at the current rate it doesn't take another study to know you would lose more.
DoYouBelieveIt1004 days ago
When in doubt order a study. Paid for with someone else s money of course and with a little luck conducted by someone 'connected'......you know.....someones brother in law or cousin.....along those lines. Gotta grease the palms.....oh and be sure that the result is the study promotes your agenda.
The people clearly have stated that their water rates are too high having been strong armed for way too long by the city of Detroits water system along with the surcharging by the city of Flint because they could get away with it. And then a mental genius decides that the city can balance the budget on the back of water revenues.......walla.....another water increase.
The citizens said enough and that they wanted lower rates (or at least stable rates) and all the powers that be heard was.........we want higher water rates. And all their minds could conceive was higher rates with extra funds going into the slush fund that is the city s operating checkbook.
Some things just never change.
tillie3224 days ago
Yeah, good luck with that....
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angelj4 days ago
Wow! Sounds like when Chris Cristie hired his own attorneys with taxpayer money to find he was innocent. How about an independent study with your own money Mr. Earley not ours for your private study.
JohnofGB4 days ago
Flint is already has the highest water rates in the county and Raftelis Consultants Inc. suggests more???? Just what was the extent of their study?
Dominic Adams | dadams5@mlive.com4 days ago
Thanks for the comment JohnofGB. The "scope of services" from Raftelis included:
-Adequacy of existing water and wastewater revenues
-Cost of service study and proposed rates
-Impact of transitioning to the Karegnondi Water Authority
-Water and wastewater operations and best management practices |
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Tue Apr 15, 2014 4:15 pm |
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