The town of St. Paul council is reconsidering its recent decisions on the water and sewer capital replacement levy following community feedback that suggested the original charges might be too aggressive.
During the council meeting on August 12, revisions to an unrelated bylaw were discussed, primarily to remove service charges that the town no longer provides or that have become redundant under the existing Public Works Policy. This policy will be presented to the council at a late date.
However, the meeting took a turn when Mayor Maureen Miller requested that the council go into a closed session to discuss additional portions of the water and sewer bylaw with a consultant. The closed session lasted for over half an hour, focusing particularly on the water and sewer capital replacement contribution. The motion was carried, and a second reading of the bylaw will take place at the next council meeting.
Mayor Miller provided clarity on the council’s discussion, explaining, “To clarify… we were looking at saving 25 percent of the replacement value for future replacement of water and sewer facilities.” This objective was originally reflected in the new levy, which set a $17 fee for water and a $9 fee for wastewater.
“But given feedback, we may have felt that it might have been a little aggressive, and we are now going to review and send this back,” Miller added.
The initial levy was part of a bylaw passed on July 7, aiming to fund the eventual replacement of the town’s aging water and sewer infrastructure. However, the council is now revisiting these fees to ensure they are both fair and sustainable for residents.
The outcome of the review and the potential adjustments to the levy will be determined in the upcoming council meeting, where the second reading of the bylaw is scheduled.
