Council to meet Tuesday, to discuss utility rates
By LYNETTE SOWELL
Cove Leader-Press
The Copperas Cove city council will hold a workshop at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, during which there will be more discussions regarding the 2017 utility rate study for Copperas Cove’s water and sewer rates. At its August 22 meeting, the council directed to remove all utility rate changes from the budget until it could receive further information from the consultant, Raftelis, on the effects of winter averaging and the senior citizen discount.
Previously, discussions were held to increase both water and wastewater base rates from $11 to $11.77 per month and include an increase in water volumetric rates by 1.2 percent and wastewater volumetric rates by 4 percent. Discussions were also held about removing the winter averaging and wastewater floor and possibly eliminating the senior citizen discount.
Fee schedule amendments are up for a vote by the council during its 6 p.m. meeting which follows the workshop. Several fees will be added, to include Youth Sports Team Fees of $300 per team for fall baseball; a Fall Baseball Gate Fee of $150 per team; Food Manager License classroom training fee of $120; revising the credit card processing fee from $2 to 2.8 percent.
Also during the 6 p.m. regular meeting, the council is set to take action on an ordinance to ratify the vote approving and adopting a 2017-2018 budget for the City of Copperas Cove, and also adopt the annual property tax rate. The Copperas Cove Economic Development Corporation’s 2017-2018 budget is also up for approval by the council this evening.
In addition to the budgets and tax rate approval, the council is also being asked to take action on the city’s capital outlay plan for 2018-2022, the capital improvement plan for 2018-2022, and the personnel improvement plan for 2018-2022 this evening.
There will be a public hearing and action on an amendment to the city’s 2016-2017 budget, which reflects budget adjustments to be made from various departments and city funds, one of which is an increase in revenue to the general fund of $122,112, along with an overall decrease in expenditures of $410,449.
One item, that of considering and acting on the removal and appointment to a board is on the agenda again this evening. During the August 22 meeting, councilman David Morris, the council’s liaison to the CCEDC, called for discussion about the removal of Marc Payne from the board of the Economic Development Corporation. Councilman Dan Yancey made a motion to postpone the action to the next meeting when city manager Andrea Gardner would be present, to which the rest of the council agreed, except for Morris and councilmen James Pierce Jr. and George Duncan.
Fire Chief Michael Neujahr is bringing a request to authorize him to submit grant applications for tuition reimbursement for firefighter training, and Public Works Director Michael Cleghorn is presenting a bid from Fuelman to provide off premise fuel supply and management for the city’s vehicles.
There will be also discussion and direction by the council about renaming the city’s Municipal Civic Center to either the Copperas Cove Civic Center or the Copperas Cove Community Center, as presented by the Quality of Life Board.
A time of citizens forum will take place at the beginning of the 6 p.m. meeting. The workshop and meeting will take place at the new city council chambers located at 508 S. 2nd St. Prior to the meetings, there will be an open house at 4 p.m. to view the new building.