Price approves irrigation turn rate increase

By Sun Advocate

The existing rates will increase for irrigation users residing within the city of Price following last week’s council meeting.
A resolution was made and passed by Price officials to increase the water turn fees from $12 to $22 per year.
The council members spent a considerable amount of time at the public meeting discussing the rate increase proposal and listening to city engineer Gary Sonntag explain the irrigation process.
According to Sonntag, there were only 138 turns or irrigation water users in the city last year.
At the existing $12 fee per turn, the city brought in $1,656 annually.
However, Sonntag reported that it costs the city at least $15,387 to operate the related irrigation water delivery service.
The costs in question come in a variety of ways, including gate operaters, keeping the more than 25 ditches clean and open and administration fees to process the irrigation turns.
Even at the increased rate, which was met with comments and dissatisfaction by John Alger, a regular visitor at the council meetings, the revenue expected to be generated is only slightly more than $3,000.
The anticipated revenues will still fall nearly $12,000 short of what is needed to pay for the program.
The city officials had no recollection of the last time the rates were increased, but it has been a considerable time since it was last reviewed.
It was noted at the council meeting that the city benefit from the water ditches as back-up storm drains.
Addressing unrelated city business, the Price council members granted permission to advertise a reroofing project at the indoor swimming pool.
The indoor pool building has the original roof on it which is 35 years old.
The roof has exceeded be its life expectancy of 15 years.
The city has budgeted $30,000 to complete the pool project.