New CSD Rates as of Sept 2021
A meeting was held on 08/17/2021 regarding CSD Rate Increases. The following letter is the result of that meeting.
The Crescent Sanitary District Board of Directors held an emergency meeting on August 17, 2021 to discuss the rate structure for sewer collection services. The District has strived to keep the rates as low as possible. Since the District is new, the rates were set based on an estimation of operating costs and the loan debt the District is responsible to pay.
The operations costs are actually twice as much as were estimated. Our utility costs and other various cost have gone up. Also due to weather and Covid restrictions our operations start was delayed about 10 months resulting in a 10 month loss of revenue.
Oregon QRS 450.130 gives the District the right to adjust the sewer rates to cover financing, operation, and maintenance costs. Therefore the Board has voted to raise the rates in Crescent as follows:.
Residential rates will increase to: $68.00 per month.
Commercial Rates will increase to: $170.00 per month.
The new rates will become effective on your next month’s bill sent out on September 25, 2021.
The Gilchrist construction has been completed to reverse the sewer flow from the Gilchrist treatment ponds to the Crescent Sewer Treatment Facility. This was needed as the ponds at Gilchrist were failing and causing contamination of the surface ground around the ponds and Little Deschutes River. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality required either the ponds be fixed or have the sewage sent to Crescent for treatment. The cost for plumbing and installation of lift stations in order to reverse the flow to Crescent cost approximately $733,000 dollars. This was the least expensive option to do and has now brought Gilchrist in compliance with the ODEQ.
Crescent had to take out a loan to do these improvements. Crescent is working to obtain grants and Covid Relief Funds to help pay for the Gilchrist construction. These funds are not guaranteed and in order to insure that Crescent Sanitary District can make the loan payments on the Gilchrist loan the following rate adjustments are necessary for Gilchrist customers;
Residential rates will increase to: $78.00
Commercial Rates will increase to: $170.00
The Board hopes to secure additional grants. If these funds become available and can defray the costs, the CSD will pass this savings back to the customers.
KIM MATHERS, President, Crescent Sanitary Board of Directors
Click here to Download a copy of the Rate Increase letter from the CSD.