Fairmont City Council hears plan to phase in water and sewer rate hikes

May 12—FAIRMONT — Fairmont City Council passed three resolutions at their Wednesday meeting and discussed utility rate increases at the work session prior to the meeting.

During the work session, council members heard from Utility Manager John Carson and Phillip Nuce from the law firm Bennett and Dobbins PLLC. They talked about how how to increase utility rates and everything Marion County Utility Services provides.

The plan for raising utility rates consists of raising prices slowly over three years. For example, if a resident's current water bill is $22.18, next year it will raise to $23.71, two years from now it will be $25.36 and by year three it will be $29.79, which is a total raise of $7.61. Carson said that this model of raising rates has been used for a few years, but did not want to have increases during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Many of the utility programs in Marion County have increased in recent years — water in 2012, sewer in 2008 and stormwater in 2006, but have needed to implement another hike for quite some time, according to Carson and Sanitary Sewer and Water Board members.

There was discussion about using ARPA funding to help lower some of the increase costs, but the funding cannot be used for day-to-day spending, only for infrastructure.

The discussion also included an invitation to a Rain Barrel Workshop Friday, May 20 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Palatine Park, in which participants will receive a 55 gallon rain barrel to use for watering plants. To register, contact Mike Bragg at 304-366-0540, but note that there are only 24 rain barrels available.

The resolutions included the support of three local veteran's hospitals to remain open, the finalization of Fairmont's America Rescue Plan funding and the Mairon Regional Development Corp. to be named master developers of the Fairmont Coke Works Site.

The hospitals include the VA Medical Center in Beckley, the Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center in Clarksburg and the Hershel "Woody" VAMC in Huntington.

"The Council for the City of Fairmont manifests its support for our veterans and the selfless sacrifices they have made in the name of our country, our liberty and our freedom and publicly opposes any plan or recommendation that will cause our veterans to lose access to VA facilities or healthcare service," City Clerk Janet Keller said.

MRDC officials recently presented a plan to develop an autonomous vehicle testing and research center at the location of the old Fairmont Coke Works Site. Nick Fantasia, president of the MRDC thanked the council and other MRDC members.

"I want to thank all of you for your support and our organization applauds you for your courage in sharing our vision. We look forward to cutting the ribbon together," Fantasia said.

The ARPA funds will be broken into four categories, which include: $4,064,094, or 50 percent, to replacing lost public sector revenue, $1,219,228, or 15 percent to addressing public health and economic impacts, $1,219,228, or 15 percent to providing premium pay for essential workers and $1,625,638, or 20 percent, to infrastructure investment.

Other items of note:

* Shae Straight, city development director, presented information on the potential rezoning of crematoriums and animal boarding in Fairmont and on the plan to renovate and rehabilitate Norwood Park.

* Mayor Tom Mainella and other council members thanked EMS members for their hard work during EMS Appreciation Week.

Reach me at sshriver@timeswv.com or 304-367-2549.