Gilbert Town Council does not have many items on the agenda for its Feb. 11 meeting, but it does have two big ones: public hearings on its wastewater and reclaimed water rates.
Council will consider two plans for funding a five-year, $230 million capital improvement plan to address urgent needs in its sewer and wastewater system.
One involves using $110 million in bonds to cover a portion of the costs, spreading repayment over 20 years but potentially requiring further rate increases. Bills would increase $8 to $41 per month in April and another $6 per month to $47 in 2026.
The second option — a cash-only approach — would impose steeper initial rate hikes of $29 per month but ensure sustainable funding for future infrastructure needs.
For reclaimed water, meter rates and usage rates will go up under either plan. Under the all-cash plan, the base meter rate will be $43.52. The direct re-use rate will be $1.09 per 1,000 gallons, $2.16 for customer-owned wells and $3.61 for town-owned wells.
Under the phased cash/bond mix, the base meter rate will be $27.49 starting in April and $33 starting in April 2026. The direct use rate will go to $0.75 per thousand gallons in April, then $0.84 in April 2026; $1.48, then $1.67 for customer-owned wells; $2.47, then $2.79 for town-owned wells.
The town's Public Works Advisory Board favors the cash-only approach. The Gilbert Chamber of Commerce issued a statement this week favoring the phased cash/bond mix option.
"Over the past five years, Gilbert businesses and their consumers have faced increasing burdens and setbacks," the Chamber's memo read. "There have been several tax and fee increases, including increased impact fees, water rate adjustments, rising minimum wage requirements, increased sales tax, and other regulatory costs. These cumulative financial pressures have challenged many businesses striving to recover from broader economic fluctuations."
The meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. in Council Chambers at Gilbert Town Hall, 50 E. Civic Center Drive. A study session on a text amendment for the community preservation code will precede it at 6 p.m.
Meet Tom Tom Blodgett joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2022, when the company acquired Community Impact Newspaper's Phoenix-area properties. Raised in Arizona, he has spent more than 35 years in journalism in the state.
Community: He has served as an instructional professional in the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication since 2005, and is editorial adviser to The State Press, the university's independent student media outlet. He also is director of operations for an 18U girls fastpitch softball team from Gilbert.
Education: Arizona State University with a BS in Journalism.
Random Fact: He lived in Belgium during his freshman year of high school.
Hobbies: Tweeting enthusiastically about ASU softball (season-ticket holder) and grumpily about other local sports (pessimistic fan).
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