By Conrad Dudderar
Associate Editor
Yukon utility customers are expected to see lower utility bills in the summer after action this week to adjust sewer rates.
The Yukon City Council at its Dec. 17th meeting unanimously approved order 1398 “by providing future increase in fees for use and maintenance of the sanitary sewer system.”
The change to the City of Yukon’s sewer rate structure reinstates previous winter and summer rates that had been charged until October 2015.
The request was made by Ward 2 City Council Member Shelli Selby.
“Yes, our water prices are high and that is because we have to buy water from Oklahoma City, but this is one way to give back,” Selby said. “Residents should see lower water bills in the summer since your sewer and garbage bill will not go up as your water consumption goes up.”
The ordinance was proposed to reduce utility customers’ bills during the summer and not raise bills in the winter, officials said.
Summer rates will be in effect April through September. Winter rates will be in effect October through March.
City staff agreed with Council Member Selby and recommended approval of the ordinance.
“Sometimes in the summertime, when people use a lot of water, their sewer bill was higher than their water bill, or as high,” Yukon City Manager Jim Crosby said. “We’ll go back to what we used to have with the winter and summer rates.”
The ordinance was written by Yukon City Attorney Gary Miller, who explained the change in a Dec. 12th memo to the city council:
“You will notice that the summer rate, when customers use the most water, has a maximum rate of $4.75 per thousand gallons regardless of the amount of usage. While the winter rate, when customers use less water, has a maximum rate of $5.25 per thousand.”
