The city may hire a firm to review sewer contracts to make sure Auburn isn't getting a raw deal.
The Auburn City Council will decide if paying $32,500 is worth the potential savings and revenue increasing ideas a rate consultant could offer.
The city may contract with Amawalk Consulting Group, LLC, to review all the water and sewer agreements. The New York City firm would examine the meters, existing contracts and current rates.
Issues to be addressed include requiring all users to pay their appropriate share of maintenance and operation expenses, looking for opportunities to adjust rates, and calculate the cost of both water and waste water as opposed to what Auburn is charging.
The water contracts with the towns and villages have those customers paying 5-percent more than city residents. But the wastewater contracts for Owasco and Fleming cost those customers $1.35 per 100 cubic feet, compared with $4.78 per 100 cubic feet for Auburn residents, the highest paying sewer customers. Aurelius and Sennett also have sewer contracts for similar amounts to Owasco and Fleming.
Corporation counsel John Rossi has said the parties can't change contracts over to a uniform set of rates at the same time.
“Previous administrations have cost us dearly in trying to (have) universal contracts,” Mayor Timothy Lattimore responded.
Another goal of the company is to find ways of increase sales and revenues.
Workers will identify which properties are connected to utilities but not charged by examining property taxes, sewer records, interviews, site visits and other data to stop the flow of unaccounted for water.
The firm would address other sources of unaccounted for water to make the system more effective, such as water the city uses but does not track.
In the second phase of the plan, the company would explore shared service agreements with other utilities and prepare an action plan. The first stage would cost $7,500 and the second would cost $25,000.
In other news:
- The city council will vote whether to allow city manager Mark Palesh to advertise for bids for the construction of the landfill's fourth cell.
The categories would include contracts for general construction, electrical construction and heating and ventilation construction.
Staff writer Jessica Soule can be reached at 253-5311, ext. 267 or jessica.soule@lee.net
The city may contract with Amawalk Consulting Group, LLC, to review all the water and sewer agreements. The New York City firm would examine the meters, existing contracts and current rates.
Issues to be addressed include requiring all users to pay their appropriate share of maintenance and operation expenses, looking for opportunities to adjust rates, and calculate the cost of both water and waste water as opposed to what Auburn is charging.
The water contracts with the towns and villages have those customers paying 5-percent more than city residents. But the wastewater contracts for Owasco and Fleming cost those customers $1.35 per 100 cubic feet, compared with $4.78 per 100 cubic feet for Auburn residents, the highest paying sewer customers. Aurelius and Sennett also have sewer contracts for similar amounts to Owasco and Fleming.
Corporation counsel John Rossi has said the parties can't change contracts over to a uniform set of rates at the same time.
“Previous administrations have cost us dearly in trying to (have) universal contracts,” Mayor Timothy Lattimore responded.
Another goal of the company is to find ways of increase sales and revenues.
Workers will identify which properties are connected to utilities but not charged by examining property taxes, sewer records, interviews, site visits and other data to stop the flow of unaccounted for water.
The firm would address other sources of unaccounted for water to make the system more effective, such as water the city uses but does not track.
In the second phase of the plan, the company would explore shared service agreements with other utilities and prepare an action plan. The first stage would cost $7,500 and the second would cost $25,000.
In other news:
- The city council will vote whether to allow city manager Mark Palesh to advertise for bids for the construction of the landfill's fourth cell.
The categories would include contracts for general construction, electrical construction and heating and ventilation construction.
Staff writer Jessica Soule can be reached at 253-5311, ext. 267 or jessica.soule@lee.net
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forrest wrote on Oct 24, 2007 11:10 AM:
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