Glen Cove officials mull water rate hike of up to 40 percent

Glen Cove officials are discussing whether to raise water rates as much as 40 percent.
The City Council held a public hearing on water rates on May 22.

“We have an aging infrastructure in our water system and it needs to be updated and upgraded,” Mayor Timothy Tenke said in an interview.

In addition, he said, the city needs money to pay for projects to remove the contaminant Freon 22 from water wells. In April, the council approved bonds that include nearly $3.6 million for Freon removal.

During the council meeting, city Controller Sandra Clarson displayed charts and graphics that gave revenue and water-rate scenarios for rate increases of 25, 35 and 40 percent. An average quarterly residential bill would increase by $18.01, to $90.05, if the rate were to go up 25 percent. The increase would be $28.82, to $100.86, if rates were to rise 40 percent.

Tenke emphasized at the meeting that no decision had been made whether to increase rates — and if so, by how much. The 40 percent figure was chosen because the city’s rates haven’t increased since 2004, and 41.3 percent is how much higher the rates would have been today if they had increased 2.5 percent a year since then.

Councilwomen Pamela Panzenbeck and Marsha Silverman recommended that any rate change include incentives to conserve water, such as higher rates for the biggest water consumers or no increase for the lowest users.

The public hearing was continued to the June 26 council meeting, at which the council likely will vote on a rate plan, Tenke said.