Parkville sewer customers may see a six percent jump in rates in the coming weeks.
The board of aldermen discussed the 2021 municipal sewer rates at its meeting Tuesday, Feb. 16, held via Zoom. A public hearing on the proposed rate change is scheduled for Tuesday, April 6 at city hall.
Nick Dragisich from consultant firm Baker Tilly, previously Springsted, presented the results of studies conducted over the past five years, including time spent by staff on sewer-related work, a comparison of expenses and transfers made to and from the sewer fund from the general fund, and more
Director of public works Alysen Abel said the six percent increase will ensure revenues meet budgeted expenditures and would allow the maintenance and repair works planned for the year to move forward. The full increase would result in an average monthly increase of about $3.18 per account.
Resident Gordon Cook presented his own analysis of the data to the board, questioning the numbers presented by both city staff and Baker Tilly.
“For the albatross in the room of Creekside, which has consumed this city for the last 14 years or so, there is zero overhead allocation,” Cook said, noting other projects such as Highway 9 reconstruction were not included in the analysis.
Cook sent the board his charts and numbers, suggesting the city’s plans amount to double-charging customers.
Additionally, Cook said he has filed a Missouri Sunshine law complaint regarding unfulfilled requests he made for information on the sewer fund.
Mayor Nan Johnston said the Creekside area is not served by Parkville’s sewer system, dismissing his comments.
Johnston said the city engaged Baker Tilly to help the city determine its best route forward. Cook said he did not dispute Baker Tilly’s findings, as they ran their own reports based on information given to them.
Cook suggested the findings were unreasonable and needed further investigation.
Johnston did question staff on why Cook’s requests had not been answered. Abel said some of the information was not in the city’s possession currently, as Baker Tilly had them.
“There’s nothing to hide there – we can get those from Baker Tilly,” Johnston said.
City administrator Joe Parente said some of the information requests had come in over the holiday weekend and Cook had been promised the information by the end of the week.
Cook said some information he had requested in November was never received and he did not believe his request was burdensome and shouldn’t require much staff time.
Parente said some of the data he requested did not exist in the form requested.
“He may think we should have that record, but if we don’t have it, it’s not a record we can produce,” Parente said.
Johnston said the city would work to answer his requests, and if unable to produce documents would explain why they didn’t have the information available.
Cook and Dragisich of Baker Tilly had a brief exchange over the findings and the methodology, with Cook saying he disagreed with the city’s proposal and would distribute his own information to the public.