The city of Copperas Cove will soon have a nationwide firm doing a study of its utility rates for water, sewer, solid waste, and drainage to develop and recommend appropriate transportation user rates. In the July 7 meeting, city council members voted unanimously to allow NewGen Strategies & Solutions, LLC to conduct the study.
NewGen rated highest of four potential firms based on four separate criteria. Ariana Beckman, the city’s director of budget, told the council that cities such as Killeen, Waco, Temple and Georgetown had given glowing reviews about NewGen and its quality of work.
According to Matthew Garrett, managing partner of NewGen, the most important thing about the utility rate studies is buy-in from the city’s stakeholders.
“We understand that the utility is a function of supporting this community and that it takes more than just math to get buy-in for what you need to do to maintain — I heard drainage in the public comments section, as an example,” Garrett told the council. “To maintain that and to be good stewards of not only the resources we ask people to pay but the utilities that serve them, we need a good financial plan.”
In order to obtain the buy in, Garrett said it may require the city to hold town halls or take the information “to the streets.”
In his presentation, Garrett explained, however, that he is not all about rates.
“I’m a policy guy by nature,” he said. “There’s more to it than the final number, so we want to make sure that it’s sustainable.”
NewGen is expected to provide a recommended 10-year plan for the city’s utility rates based on upcoming capital projects.
Councilwoman Dianne Campbell asked Garrett after his presentation the method for determining costs so that it is equitable across all users.
“When we talk about from a cost of service basis, when we look at an equitable distribution of costs from a water system … you have a lot of fixed costs in that system,” he said. “So one of the methods that 90% of the nation is using is the base extra capacity method that does look at usage, but it also looks at usage patterns.”
To watch the full discussion, go to the city’s YouTube page. To view NewGen’s full proposal, see the council agenda on the city’s website.
Also during the council meeting, council members unanimously directed the city to proceed with a proposed pay increase for critical positions.
As presented by City Manager Ryan Haverlah, the proposed increase would raise wage rates for more than 100 positions by a minimum of $1.75 per hour and a maximum of $3.50 per hour, depending on the position. It also comes with an increase in the Commercial Driver’s License incentive from $50 per month to $100 per month for the CDL-certified positions.
Critical public works positions in Copperas Cove include light equipment operators, heavy equipment operators, wastewater operators and sewer collection workers.
A public hearing for the budget amendments will be held during the July 19 and July 26 meetings.
