(Milford)– Officials in Milford are now trying to decide how to pay for a new $30 million dollar water treatment that is nearly completed.
A motion at Tuesday’s meeting of the Board of Trustees of Milford Municipal Utilities to raise user fees on water customers by roughly 11 percent for at least a year failed on a two-two tie vote. Typically there are five members on the board, but there is currently a vacancy.
As we reported previously, the proposed increase came in higher than originally anticipated after an error was found in some calculations.
The vote followed a public hearing Tuesday that drew concern from Milford residents and city officials from West Okoboji, which purchases water from MMU. Dave Worshek, an MMU trustee, said he would have liked to have seen at least some of the increase put on the usage side.
MMU officials say the increase was vital in order to pay for the new treatment plant and to meet terms of a state loan. They say they’ll be able to meet those terms at least yet this year by dipping into cash reserves.
It’s uncertain what will happen from here. The group’s chairman declined comment to KUOO news following Tuesday’s meeting.
