Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, July 3, 1990 TAG: 9007030507
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: EVENING
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER MUNICIPAL WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The plan apparently has little chance of being approved because a majority of council now opposes it.
Councilmen James Harvey and William White want city officials to look at alternatives for financing $32 million in improvements to the water and sewer systems.
The new councilmen apparently will not try to rescind a 12 percent increase in water and sewer rates that was approved by council last week. But they do not like the rest of the proposed five-year plan.
City Manager Robert Herbert says the rates need to be gradually increased over five years because Roanoke is facing pressure from state agencies to upgrade and expand its water-filtration plants and its sewage-treatment plant.
Harvey, who assumed his duties Monday, said the recommendation for increasing water rates by 61 percent and sewer rates by 65 percent is "way out of line."
White said he will keep an open mind, but added that he does not think city residents can afford such a big increase.
Both councilmen want city officials to look at ways to reduce costs and to get other Roanoke Valley localities that use the sewage plant to share more of the cost of expanding the sewage-treatment plant and other improvements.
The five-year plan, which was recommended by Herbert and Finance Director Joel Schlanger, was opposed by Councilmen David Bowers and Howard Musser when it was submitted.
Bowers said he thinks the new council is going to be conservative on financial matters. "It's not going to be afraid to ask the tough questions. We will try to live within our means," Bowers said.
In a compromise move last week, council approved a 12 percent increase in the water and sewer rates, the amount recommended in the first year. But it refused to approve the rest of the plan amid speculation the new council might be asked to reconsider the issue.
Harvey said he understands that the 12 percent increase will take care of immediate needs.
Schlanger said the 12 percent increase will provide the money to help upgrade and expand the Falling Creek water-filtration plant, but it will not provide money for any other improvements.
The increase in sewer rates will help reduce a deficit in the sewer fund, but will not provide money for expansion of the sewage-treatment plant or other improvements, Schlanger said.
The city has plenty of water, but needs to expand filtration plants and upgrade pumping station to avoid water pressure problems, Herbert said.
The treatment capacity of the Carvins Cove water-filtration plant needs to be increased from 18 million to 28 million gallons per day. A pump station also needs to be upgraded, and a major new transmission line is needed, Herbert said.
The sewage-treatment plant has a rated capacity to handle 35 million gallons of sewage per day, but the flow in the past 13 months has averaged 38 million to 40 million gallons.
The plant has violated parts of the state's permit dealing with the volume of discharge into the Roanoke River, but the level of pollutants has complied with the permit.
The state Water Control Board has told the city to develop plans for expanding the treatment plant, and consultants have proposed plans for the expansion project.
If the plant continues to violate permit restrictions on the volume of sewage, Herbert said, the state could impose a ban on new sewer connections.
by CNB