City rates may increase July 1

Residents will see slight increases in rates paid for water, sewer and trash collection once the city’s new budget is finalized June 16.

According to City Administrator Reed Clevenger, the rates reflect increasing costs associated with managing the various services. However, during the next year, Clevenger said the city will have their rates professionally audited to ensure they’re not over or under charging residents for services.

“We’re going to try to be more fair with those fees,” Clevenger said.

The fees won’t take effect until the new fiscal year starts July 1.

Speaking of the trash collection increase specifically, Clevenger said the 2 percent increase will go towards paying down a loan issued from the State Lands and Investments Board in Cheyenne to help cover the cost of closing the city’s landfill and building a transfer station to move the city’s garbage to the landfill outside Rock Springs. The loan is $500,000, which will be paid back at a minimum of $25,000 each year. At that minimum amount, it would take the city 20 years to fully pay back its loan.

Initially, the loan amount would have totaled $795,000, but the city received a $295,000 grant from SLIB when city officials approached the board during their March meeting and discussed the project with SLIB.

The city has worked for the past few years towards the transition, which was originally brought about to improve the environmental quality in municipalities by safeguarding waste in sealed, regional landfills.