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Gurnee may boost water and sewer bills

Gurnee might increase water and sewer bills next year in what village officials say would be a move to collect more money for an expected system replacement.

Finance Director Brian Gosnell briefed village board trustees about the recommended increases. If the plan gains formal village board approval, the water and sewer charges would rise for the 2016-17 budget season that begins May 1.

Under the proposal, a 5 percent increase would be applied to combined water and sewer bills, with some cash specifically going toward capital improvements. The water side would be a majority of the expense on an annual bill for the typical residential customer, with a projected increase of $21 in 2016-17, Gosnell said.

Bills would rise another 3 percent annually from 2017-18 through 2020-21. Similar to other towns, Gurnee issues water and sewer bills every two months.

Elected officials agreed at an informal committee meeting Monday night the increases would be warranted, because the village for many years didn't pass on the higher prices it was paying to the Central Lake County Joint Action Water Agency. Gurnee and other towns buy Lake Michigan water from the agency, then bill residents and other customers.

"It is a conservative increase that was a long time coming," Trustee Greg Garner said. "We've been subsidizing the water rates to residents for a number of years. It always was that catch-up or payback time. It sounds like it's now."

In a study for the village, the Baxter and Woodman engineering firm stated capital improvement needs for the drinking water system were estimated at $2.2 million annually for five years. About $600,000 in annual work for sewer pipes was cited in Baxter and Woodman's report that suggested a rate increase as the best way to fund the capital improvements.

Trustee Don Wilson said he appreciates the recommendation on the water and sewer rate boost because it would be just enough to cover costs of future projects.

"It is done in a conservative way to where the increases help allow us to stay above board and just comfortable, but not getting rich as a village off of this," Wilson said.

Construction of a new water tower off Knowles Road on Gurnee's west side is one of the potential infrastructure projects on the table. The tower would increase water pressure in the village's system, officials said.

Don Wilson
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