Council votes to look for new engineer

Although discussion and action on the city's efforts to acquire a water line right of way was the lengthiest agenda item at last Tuesday's regular meeting, Whitehouse City Council members also voted to look for a new city engineer, heard a detailed water rate study report and continued to grapple with in-house issues.

Council voted unanimously to look for a new engineering firm after member Mike Adams said he had lost confidence in Phil Elledge. Adams said there had been too many cost overrides and lawsuits and that it was "time to cut costs and move on."

Mayor Jake Jacobson agreed with Adams and has been consistently critical of order changes and projects finishing behind schedule. The council has been wrestling with water issues, and the delay in well projects has been cited as one reason the city is behind schedule and uncertain about its ability to meet this summer's demand.

Earlier in the council meeting, as the city reversed its plan to assert eminent domain and acquire a right of way through Don Green's property for a water well line, Elledge's performance in that matter was also questioned.

"I was never contacted by the city that you were sending appraisers and surveyors onto our property. We seemed not important enough to you to have extended this common courtesy," said Green, who was primarily worried about the effect the easement would have on the retail value of his property (currently listed at $1.9 million), but also frustrated by the lack of communication and notification.

Elledge said that surveyor Wes Turley told him he would contact Green before he went on the property. "If he didn't, I apologize for that," said Elledge.

Council also was critical of the fact that the project got as far as it did before the easement matter was addressed.

In other matters, council also heard an extensive water rate study report from Dan Jackson of Economist.com. Jackson's findings were based on current costs and connections, as well as estimated growth

and the development of the Lake Striker plant and water line and its debt service.

Jackson outlined for council the difference in four possible rate structures for the city.

The city currently has two rate tiers: 2,001 to 25,000 gallons and 25,001 and above.

Alternative 1 of fers no changes to the city's tier structure and imposes no impact fees for new development, but would still increase rates beginning in January 2008. Over the course of this plan, the average user (10,000 gallons) would see his monthly bill rise from $72.70 currently to $93.96 by October 2012.

Alternative 2, which adds a 10,001 to 25,000 tier, would see monthly bills increase from $72.70 currently to $91.24 in October 2012.

Alternative 3 keeps the current tier schedule but adds impact fees; by October 2012, the average monthly bill for a 10,000 gallon user would be $92.22.

Alternative 4, incorporating the three-tier schedule and impact fees, shows the least affect on homeowners' bills, with an estimated $89.58 in October 2012.

All of the above estimates are based on the 10,000 gallon average user, with rate increases in January 2008, October 2008 and then annually through October 2012.

Jackson's report was informational only and council took no action.