Bill would set flat rate All homes on the city sewer system would pay fees based on the same rate under a bill that has moved out of the City Council Budget Committee.
for home sewer fees
Both single-family home and
apartment users would pay 1 rateBy Gordon Y.K. Pang
gpang@starbulletin.com
That will mean about a 19 percent increase for the average family living in an apartment or condominium, but a 9.5 percent decrease for the average family in a single-family, detached home.
Bill 01-95 was introduced by Leeward Councilman John DeSoto, who said single-family dwellers, particularly those with large yards or farms, are paying an unfairly larger share for sewage when much of their water is being used for irrigation and not contributing to the city's waste-water system.
Sewer bills, which come every two months, are calculated using a fixed charge and a variable rate based on the amount of water used beyond 2,000 gallons.
The average Oahu family, whether in a house or an apartment/condominium, uses 9,000 gallons a month. But the single-family rate is $31.15 a month while the apartment/condominium user rate is $23.70.
Under the bill, families in both categories would pay the same for 9,000 gallons, $28.19 a month.
Tim Steinberger, city director of environmental services, said the proposal would be "revenue neutral," having neither a positive or negative impact on what the city receives.
Salt Lake Councilman Romy Cachola said raising the variable rate for apartment/condominium owners would not have a neutral effect on their sewer bills, and suggested keeping their rate the same while lowering the single-family home rate. Sewer officials, however, said that would mean millions of dollars in lost revenues and leave the city without enough money for operations, maintenance and upgrade.
Waikiki Councilman Duke Bainum also raised concerns that a one-time increase for apartment/condominium owners represented a "dramatic and brash" change. Members of the Hawaii Council of Associations of Apartment Owners said the bill, if passed, should go into effect incrementally.
Apartment and condominium owners have historically opposed parity in sewer rates, noting that many of them do not receive city rubbish pickup and that they pay property taxes based on a higher rate than single-family homeowners.
But DeSoto and others seeking equity in rates say now may be the right time since the city began implementing a three-year plan last year to lower the tax rate for apartment/condominium owners to the same level as single-family homeowners.
Mayor Jeremy Harris supports the bill, Steinberger said. "This is an issue of fairness," he said.
The administration, however, is asking that the effective date of the bill change from July 1 to Jan. 1 because most condominium associations base their annual fees based on a calendar year.
City & County of Honolulu
