Utility rates, municipal court operations among Legal Committee meeting items | Local News

More money is needed to make improvements in the infrastructure because the utility rates haven’t increased fast enough to keep up with costs, according to city officials and staff.

Among infrastructure concerns is the two primary water reservoirs on West Country Club Road. Together, they can hold up to 15 million gallons of water. During warm months, both tanks are needed to deliver water to the approximately 18,000 residential and commercial users served.

A plan to repair the reservoirs will be submitted to the city’s Finance Committee for review in March.

An operations plan for the water department would provide $4 million in fiscal years 2025 and 2026 to repair and replace aging infrastructure. That amount would increase to $4.5 million in fiscal years 2027 and 2028.

Mayor Timothy Jennings, who attended the meeting but isn’t on the committee and doesn’t have a vote, also voiced concerns about wastewater operational needs and water conservation.

He pointed to problems that arose on Feb. 11 amid heavy snow and a power outage at the plant, and referred to the troubles as “Super Dump,” because it happened on Super Bowl Sunday.

Efforts to stop effluent spillage were successful, but might not be in the future if upgrades there aren’t completed sooner rather than later.

Jennings also urged that customers be given instructions about “how to save water.”

This year’s Water Department budget is about $12.5…