Council asks International Falls for explanation after apparent rate discrepancy

Council members pressed for clarification after a city billing arrangement with International Falls appeared to charge local customers a higher water rate than nearby industrial users. S1 said the municipality receives a single bill and that "our average usage...is 2,900 gallons," placing most customers in the 2,000–10,000-gallon bracket. He said the local base charge appeared to be $12.83 per the transcript and observed that papermakers were being charged a lower figure (the transcript cites $6.78 for papermakers), calling the math "not correct for sure." "We just need to clarify it," S1 said and asked Cheryl to arrange a meeting with International Falls to explain the methodology.

Council members agreed to seek the documentation behind International Falls' rate calculations and to meet with their staff before the next council meeting. No formal policy change or vote was recorded; the matter was directed to staff follow-up.

Next steps: staff (Cheryl) to schedule a meeting with International Falls and report back the rate methodology and any proposed adjustments.