A few Lorainites are frustrated with recent water and sewer bill increases.
This month, online forums have logged comments from exasperated residents questioning why their utility bills are going up.
The simmering feelings boiled over Feb. 8 when seven South Lorain residents showed up at Mayor Chase Ritenauer’s office on the seventh floor of Lorain City Hall.
They asked to see the mayor, but ended up spending an hour poring over city issues with Safety-Service Director Dan Given, Utilities Director Paul Wilson and Utilities Assistant Director Joseph Carbonaro.
“We’re not here against you, him, him,” said Kelly Mullenax, a Camden Avenue resident. “We’re here to try to get something better for our neighborhoods.”
The conversation ranged from road repairs to trash collection to police patrols to city payroll.
But utility rate increases were at the top of the list to talk about.
Resident Patricia Nelson talked about her bill, which rose from about $95, the monthly average for her home, to more than $116.
That charge included a late fee that the Utilities Department waived due to trouble with mail delivery, so the current charge was $107.
Based on the rate increases for water and sewer services, the monthly bills went up about $10 to $12 for Lorain’s 23,000 residences, Wilson said.
In 2017, the city administration raised water rates and City Council in July 2017 voted to increase the sewer rates.
Much of the increase comes in the “readiness to serve” charge that for years, was 30 cents per water bill and 30 cents per sewer bill per month.
Those rates changed based on the size of the water pipe of the customer.
But a household with a 5/8-inch water meter saw the readiness to serve charge rise to $10 per month for sewer service and $15 a month for waterlines.
On Feb. 8, city staffers spoke about ongoing discussions with officials from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which has mandated the city upgrade its sanitary sewers.
“They declared to us what we have to do,” Given said.
The federal officials do not give Lorain any money to make improvements, but will fine the city if it does not act, which in turn pushes up utility rates, he said.
“We call them unfunded mandates,” Given said. “The federal government comes down and says, you will do this. And they force us to do it.”
Mullenax argued that Lorain should have had more maintenance over time.
“The politicians ahead of you should have done some of this a little bit at a time, not everything in one shot,” he said, clapping his hands for emphasis.
“We’re not going to argue that point,” Given said. “Nobody wants to increase rates. We didn’t want to increase rates this time.
“But you get to the point and you have to deal with the hand that’s given to you.”
The city staff encouraged residents to reach out to City Council members and attend Council meetings.
Between regular meetings and committee discussion, Council meets just about every Monday at City Hall, 200 W. Erie Ave.
It did not appear Lorainites would see immediate relief for the water and sewer bills.
The city rate schedules have annual increases through 2026.
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