Council approves $300 water-meter replacement fee for homeowner-caused damage; staff says routine city meter replacements remain free

The Lincoln Park City Council voted to increase the water-meter replacement fee for meters damaged inside a resident’s home to $300, a figure staff said reflects the city’s cost to replace meters under the new metering system.

City manager Lisa Jones explained the fee applies only when a meter is damaged by conditions inside a residence (freeze fracture or homeowner-caused damage) and not when the city replaces a meter as part of the city’s meter-replacement program. "This is simply a pass through fee," Jones said, describing the charge as cost recovery rather than revenue generation for the city.

Council members emphasized the distinction to avoid public confusion with the city’s broader meter-replacement program. The motion to authorize the finance department to update the user-fee schedule and set the replacement fee at $300 passed by roll-call vote.

Other utility-related items discussed during the meeting included a scheduled June 22 study session on the water-and-sewer rate study and brief reports on recent water-main break repairs and ongoing leak-detection work; staff said meter replacement and leak detection are expected to help reduce water loss over time.

What’s next: Finance will publish the updated user-fee schedule reflecting the $300 replacement fee and staff will continue work on the June rate-study presentation.