St. Joseph council hears public concerns as sewer‑fee changes move forward

A public hearing at the St. Joseph City Council meeting on May 1 focused on proposed revisions to sewer charges for fiscal year 2023–24, where residents urged caution as utility costs bite into household budgets.

Jim Whitinger of 4614 Iris Street said he pays his bills but called rates ‘‘too high,’’ noting that ‘‘Missouri American Water is raising their rates 21%’’ while the city’s proposed changes were much smaller. He also referenced bond terms and a reserve requirement that he characterized as ‘‘110% reserve’’ and asked the mayor to seek renegotiation with the state to ease the city’s fiscal obligations.

Rusty Summers, who said he has followed utility affordability issues for years, urged the council to account for households already relying on assistance. ‘‘When people can’t afford to pay their bills ... they shut the water off. So then their house is inhabitable,’’ Summers said, warning that shutoffs can increase homelessness. He told the council the last sewer rate increase occurred in 2017 and asked whether grant programs could be used to reduce the burden on low‑income residents.

City Manager Brian responded with steps the city has taken to limit rate pressure since 2017: refinancing debt obligations, cutting operations staffing (including a reduction of five positions at the water protection plant), and using state programs tied to COVID relief (LIHWAP) to help eligible customers and preserve revenue flow. He also said the city had pushed out several combined sewer overflow capital projects to spread capital costs over additional years.

The proposed sewer‑fee change also appeared on the consent agenda as an ordinance to modify sewer service fees across customer classes (a 4.25% increase was listed on the agenda). That consent agenda passed 8–0 during the meeting. Council members did not debate the fee ordinance in detail during the public hearing item but heard multiple residents press the council to pursue assistance or grant alternatives to blunt household impacts.

The council closed the public hearing after hearing comments and proceeded with other agenda business; no additional formal action specific to the public hearing was recorded beyond the consent agenda placement and subsequent adoption of the consent agenda that included the sewer fee ordinance.