Business owners and residents of the city of Snoqualmie gathered at city hall on Thursday, Feb. 2, for presentations on the city’s proposed ordinance for utility rate increases in the next four years.

The presentations were an opportunity for Snoqualmie citizens to ask questions and give feedback on the proposed rate increases before the public hearing, scheduled for Monday, Feb. 13.

The proposed increases, which would likely begin in March and last until 2020, are to help Snoqualmie meet the state and federal regulatory requirements and to keep the utility systems operating reliably. The proposed changes include connection charges for new users connecting to the city’s utility system.

City staff including Mayor Matt Larson, Parks and Public Works Operations Manager Nancy Davidson, City Administrator Bob Larson and Wastewater Superintendent Thomas Holmes answered questions from the audience as Sergey Tarasov of the FCS Group consulting firm led the presentation Thursday afternoon.

The proposed rates would increase the water utility cost by 5 percent and the stormwater utility by 5.65 percent each year.

The sewer system will change its rate structure to strength-based rates for commercial customers, which means users with more highly concentrated sewer flow will pay more. Nancy Davidson, Parks and Public Works operations manager, said that the average revenue increase the city needs for the sewer system would be 17 percent for 2017 through 2019 and 5.5 percent in 2020.

In order to implement a more fair way to charge for sewer utilities, the city categorized its customers into residential, multifamily, low commercial, and high commercial users. These categories were selected based on a study recommended by the city’s consultant team, FCS Group.

The businesses that produce large amounts of sewage, such as a casino or brewery, would pay more to treat their output, while residents and small businesses would pay less.

The ordinance would also update the city’s sewer and water connection rates, which haven’t been changed since 2001 and 2002 respectively. In addition to the updated connection charges, the ordinance would add a General Facilities Charge, a one-time payment to connect a new development or expanded connection to the utility system.

A public hearing on the changes will be a part of the next Snoqualmie City Council meeting, set for 7 p.m., Monday, Feb. 13, to give citizens an opportunity to address the council and share their feedback on the proposed changes.

After the council’s hearing, the ordinance will be up for council approval at the Feb. 27 meeting.

For more information on the ordinance, an FAQ and the presentation are available on the city’s website at www.ci.snoqualmie.wa.us/Residents/Utilities/WaterUtilityServicesRates.aspx.