Residents hooked up to municipal water and sewer will be paying more for the service in 2023.
Timmins council has approved increasing the water and wastewater rates. It means the average five-room household will pay an extra $56 — $23 for water and $33 for wastewater. The low-income utility rebate was also increased by $50.
It's slightly higher than the 2022 increase, which was $53. The year prior to that the rates went up $50. If council sticks to the water and wastewater rate plan approved in 2021, the rates continue to go up every year until 2030 when the average homeowner will have seen their rates increase by $654 from start to finish.
There hasn't been a lot of discussion on the 2023 increase at the council table.
Staff did not give a presentation on it last night because the item in the agenda was the same as deputy treasurer Greg Paquette delivered at the Dec. 6 meeting.
South Porcupine Coun. Lorne Feldman noted the city's fiscal obligations as well as the "exorbitant" cost increases residents are facing.
"When I look at our residents, our seniors, who have built this community, living on a fixed income. Our working residents and their families who are struggling to make ends meet, yet still trying to make this community a great place, I’m really asking if there are some other proposals we could consider to alleviate some of that burden on community members?” he said.
Feldman said he hopes council can work with the finance department and table proposals that residents could live with.
"Because, again, maybe $50 seems like a little thing but little things add up to big things and I’m just concerned about what the future holds in the next 20 to 24 months,” he said.
Staff did not respond to the comments.
At the meeting, however, the low-income utility rebate was increased to $150 from $100. In 2022, the city processed 147 rebates.
The top-ticket items for water distribution in 2023 are $2.75 million for watermain lining, $1.85 million for the Crawford Road watermain, and $1.2 million for the Connecting Link work, which includes the 2023 work as well as the section not finished in 2022 that will have to be done next year. There's also over $1 million of capital work proposed for the water plant.
For wastewater collection, the biggest expense is over $1 million for various sewer lining projects, followed by $900,000 for Connecting Link work. There's also $515,000 budgeted for sewer repairs and $221,450 for sanitary sewer camera inspections using CCTV.
The city also plans to use gas tax funding for some projects. There is $1 million earmarked to finish the McIntyre Lift Station and $1.4 million to offset the costs of the lining projects.
Right now, the city's water and wastewater rates are based on the number of rooms in a house.
In January, the business case for implementing water metres is expected to be at council.
There was a recorded vote for the water and wastewater rate increase, with Feldman being the only person to vote against it.
Coun. Andrew Marks and Coun. Steve Black were both absent from the meeting. When the rates were first talked about the proposed hikes last week, Black was the only person to make a public comment in opposition, saying he won't support the plan — similar to his stance on the increases from 2010 to 2018 during previous terms at the table.
While Schumacher Coun. Bill Gvozdanovic voted in favour of the increase this year, he said he's "really concerned" with where the rates are going.
Passing water and wastewater rates are the first step in the 2023 budget process.
This week, council was asked to provide staff with any items they'd like to see added to the document. There's no official meeting set for when council and the public can see what the 2023 budget looks like, though it's expected back at council in January.
