Bryant rate increase firm

BRYANT — The conversations were similar but the end result the same — the Bryant sewer rate increase will stick for now.
The Bryant Town Council discussed the increases with upset property owners Saturday morning. The discussion was a second round of complaints from owners who feel that the sewer increase for vacant homes — raised to $29.85 from $7 per month — is grossly unfair.
The ordinance does state that the town council can review the rates every six months, and council president Jason Meinerding left the possibility open that the rates could be looked at again in December.
The increases were passed by the town board in May, with no objections from the public. About five people attended that meeting.
Meinerding, who was absent at Tuesday’s meeting when the first complaints were aired, addressed the issue after catching up on business he missed earlier in the week.
“We had a meeting to discuss this,” he said of the sewer increases. “We passed the ordinance. It’s done.”
Board members were called “highway robbers” at one point during the discussion, but Meinerding argued that he felt it would be unfair to greatly increase the rates for the occupied homes and that he hoped it would motivate owners of vacant homes to either rent them or sell them to someone who will seek to fill them.
“It was either that or a much larger increase for everyone in the town,” Meinerding said. “… If you have an empty property in town, you’re hurting the economy of the town.”
Several attendees noted that they were not aware that a sewer rate increase was going to be discussed before it was passed. Meinerding said the town was advised by its attorney and followed all necessary procedures to pass the increase.
Meinerding said the public could discuss the rate increase with the board at any town meeting, but that the board wouldn’t review the rates again until December.
In other business, the town council:
•Adopted a budget calendar for 2012.
•Were informed of a new meeting schedule for the remainder of 2011. The town council’s regularly scheduled meetings will be held on the first Saturday of the month, unless that date is the first day of the month.[[In-content Ad]]