Westville council approves hydrant-rental surcharge and renews MCO utilities contract

The Westville Town Council voted unanimously to add a meter-size hydrant-rental surcharge to water bills and to enter a 2026 operations contract with Midwest Contract Operations (MCO).

Speaker 1 said the new charge is based on meter size and gave examples: "If you have a 5/8-inch (or 3/4-inch) meter, you're paying $3.45 a month," and noted that a larger 3-inch meter is shown in the ordinance at $55.20 a month. The council framed the surcharge as a way to preserve general-fund support for fire protection after changes at the state level, citing "Senate enrolled act 1" as reducing revenue for local governments.

On the MCO contract, Speaker 1 presented the same contract language as prior years and listed the monthly fee as $22,718.37 (about a 3% increase over 2025). The motion to enter the 2026 contract was moved and seconded in the meeting and passed by voice vote, 5-0.

Council members discussed the choice to use a small, meter-based fee rather than broader options such as income or other surcharges, saying the approach was intended to keep funds in the general fund to cover public-safety expenses. Speaker 2 noted residents could raise concerns and invited citizens to speak with council members after the meeting.

The council did not vote to change meter-rate tiers at this meeting; the surcharge as described is based on meter size as set in the ordinance text presented to the council.

The contract renewal and the surcharge passed in separate motions during the same meeting; each was recorded as passing unanimously by voice vote.