Culbertson approves municipal water-rate increase tied to regional supplier hike

Culbertson — The Culbertson Town Council approved a resolution to raise municipal water rates after Dry Prairie Rural Water announced its own rate increase.

Council followed the public-notice and hearing schedule recorded in its work sessions and passed Resolution #502 at its May 9 meeting, implementing a $3.00 increase per Equivalent Dwelling Unit (EDU) plus $0.57 per 1,000 gallons. The council previously set a schedule for a resolution of intention (April 11), publications and a May 9 public hearing, with an implementation date of June 20, 2022.

Why it matters: The town's decision mirrors increases by its regional supplier, Dry Prairie, and councilors said the municipal rate must be adjusted to reflect the supplier's new charges. Meeting minutes show the council approved the resolution by motion with no objections.

Details: Officials noted the example increases for residential usage reported in work-session materials: a property using 1,000 gallons per month would see a $3.57 monthly increase; a property using 5,000 gallons would see a $5.85 monthly increase under the combined EDU and per-thousand-gallon schedule.

Next steps: The council recorded the resolution approval and noted required public notices and customer mailings had been scheduled as part of the adoption process. The new rates were slated to take effect June 20, 2022.