Warden raises rates, approves budget

WARDEN — The Warden City Council unanimously approved the city’s final 2024 budget, as well as increases to both sewer and water utility rates, a public emergency for a well repair and an interlocal agreement with the Grant County Health District during Tuesday’s regular meeting.

Warden City Administrator Kriss Shuler started by introducing the water utility rate increase. 

“This is the material that was reviewed by council for the rate increase for the water utility. We did discuss that the water utility has not been increased since 2016. We are supposed to raise it by cost of living every year,” Shuler said. “In our water system plan discussion, we have agreed that we are looking at raising that rate at 5% per year. At this point that can change. Council can make that decision each year. This year, they determined the 5% increase, so that amendment is in front of you.”

The council voted unanimously to approve the 5% water rate increase before Shuler introduced the sewer rate increase.

“This is the sewer rate adjustment. It has not been adjusted since December of 2017,” Shuler said. “The residential rates would show it at a $5 per month rate increase. Multi-units and commercials are increased proportionately, in a little bit of a different manner, and the industrial rates they pay per employee, so their rate will go up as well as the schools.’ They pay per student and teacher rates.”

The sewer increase was then also unanimously approved by the council. 

Mayor Tony Massa introduced an item to the agenda for the meeting.

“That brings us to Item ‘G,’ Resolution 02-2024 declaring a public emergency for the repair of well No. 8,” Massa said. “We burned up a motor in it and the declaration of emergency allows us to skip the bid process because that well provides fire protection.”

Schuler said the well in question is located near the Warden Municipal Airport and the industrial area on the west edge of the city. 

“The fire protection is for the industrial area. We would know if a fire occurred, like when we had the fire at Washington Potato, and if we wouldn’t have had both wells, we would have never been able to run the pumper trucks that attacked that fire. So it's definitely an emergency for the safety of the community.”

After the council unanimously approved the emergency declaration, Shuler then explained the city’s interlocal agreement with the Grant County Health District. 

“Each year, the city enters into an agreement with the Grant County Health District. Each city in the county does that for their health services,” Shuler said. “Each city contributes $1 to $4 per capita for their service fee, and currently Warden is at $2.66 per capita, where we make a payment of $7,000. That's what our payment has been for the last two years and that's what we have budgeted for this year.”

The council unanimously approved the motion. Shuler then outlined the council’s schedule for December. 

“At the next meeting, Dec. 12, we will have an acknowledgment of Mayor Massa. We will have cake and punch and stuff here before the meeting, so everybody's welcome to come to that.”

The council voted to cancel the Dec. 26 meeting, meaning the council will only meet once in December.

Gabriel Davis may be reached at gdavis@columbiabasinherald.com. Download the Columbia Basin Herald app on iOS and Android.

    Warden City Council’s Tuesday meeting saw the approval of a public emergency for a repair to well No. 8, which is located near the Warden Municipal Airport, pictured, and the industrial area on the west edge of the city.
 File photo