By Jackie Gorski
Times-Union
LEESBURG – Leesburg Town Council approved an ordinance to raise its sewer rate Monday.
Town attorney Nick Jacobs presented the ordinance to raise the sewer rates to $80 a month, effective April 1.
The town had a sewer rate study done by Baker Tilly. In May, Nicole Grzybowski, of Baker Tilly, presented the council with the town’s sewer rate review. It was recommended the town increase the user fee portion of the sewer rate by 8.9% from $32.30 to $38.80, increasing the total sewer rate from $73 a month to $79.50 a month. Grzybowski said if the council decides to raise the sewer rates, it would take a minimum of two meetings to adopt the new rate. It was decided to round up the increase to $80.
In December, the council approved the rates to be increased and told Baker Tilly of its decision. In February, the council had a second public hearing on the rate increase.
In other business, the council heard:
• An update about the preventative maintenance schedule for the sewer system.
Councilman Tom Moore said the schedule has been separated into weekly and monthly projects. At a later time, if some of the weekly checks or projects are not needed to be done on a weekly basis, the schedule may be modified at that point.
• Heard an update on the walking path/sidewalk project Leesburg is trying to do as part of the $200,000 K21 Health Foundation grant.
Councilwoman Christina Archer said the grant was to promote wellness and well-being. She said she had to go back and update how much sidewalk the town would have to do as part of the grant. She stated some homeowners have updated their sidewalks as part of the sidewalk project the town is doing where the town pays for the cement and the homeowner pays the rest of the cost. As some residents have taken part of that program, it has affected how much sidewalk the town would need to update as part of the K21 Health Foundation grant.
Archer said she hopes to get be able to get some quotes with the information.
• Heard from Street Commissioner Craig Charlton that a storm drain on the southeast corner of Jefferson and Van Buren streets is developing a suck hole under the bricks.
