Wales council adopts revised water ordinance, moves fee rules from resolution to ordinance

The Wales Town Council voted July 7 to adopt Ordinance 2026‑03, a revision of a 2023 measure that reestablishes how the town’s water department is regulated and how water fees are set.

Clerk and finance presenter (S3) told the council the primary change is technical wording to move fee‑related provisions from a resolution into ordinance language after advice from a Royal Water consultant. "Janelle Brethwaite, who's works with Royal Water that it has to be an ordinance. It can't be a resolution," S3 said during the discussion.

Council members said the ordinance clarifies fee language and adds an administrative process for the town clerk to review water bill overages caused by leaks. The council noted that if a customer follows the town’s checklist for leak adjustments, the clerk could resolve the matter administratively; any appeal would come back to the council.

The ordinance had been the subject of public meetings and two required open hearings in June, the clerk said, and the council voted in favor by voice vote.

What it means: moving fee provisions into ordinance form aligns the town’s water code with state requirements and makes fee structures legally enforceable as ordinance text. The council did not change the core fee amounts at the meeting; it adopted the structural and procedural revisions discussed in previous public meetings.

Next steps: the ordinance is adopted and will be implemented by town staff; appeals about individual overage decisions remain available to the council, the clerk said.