Are Youngstown Sewer Rates Going To Increase?

[jazz218]

Quote from Why? Town:"As for the information you shared about the sewer deduct meters, you stated that Youngstown residents can apply for a sewer deduct meter. Are you you informing, or maybe just implying, that only people in the city can apply or are you just leaving everyone uninformed that people outside the city could apply for it too? Also you seem to be leaving us uninformed as to the cost of getting a sewer deduct meter. While the meter may, or may not be free, plumbers aren't free and some type of permit fee and inspection being required wouldn't surprise me. To say my post is an argument of any type, even without adding the adjective "uninformed" to it and then calling it pure nonsense might be an attempt to start an argument by using pure nonsense."
As far as I know, Why? Town, sewer deduct meters are an option for all Youngstown Water Department customers. A simple call to the YWD would answer your question.

As for the uninformed part, you unfortunately are typical of many citizens who simply want to complain without taking any steps to learn more about the topic. Please do what you can to become more involved in researching and learning more about the public policy topics that are of most concern to you. Then, you can better hold the politicians accountable to address those problems. Simply squaking on a message board is of no use, hence the term "nonsense".
Lastly, please remember that a democratic society only works if the citizens uphold their obligation to be involved. 

As for the term "argument" it was meant to be used as a lawyer would use the term in defining one's position of a topic.

[jazz218]

Great question, Jay.
Approximately 90% of the city has combined sewers. The newer areas of the city (predominantly the upper west side) in which streets and homes were constructed from the 1960's and beyond do have separate storm and sanitary sewers. Many of the homes in this area, however, have footer drains and downspouts that tie into the sanitary sewer.

A big issue with the EPA has always been several overflows that discharge into Mill Creek and other tributaries in Mill Creek Park. These overflows are primarily influenced by combined systems on the lower west and south sides of the city.

Unfortunately for the westsiders, sewer rates are uniform throughout the city, and everyone shares the pain regardless of where they live.

[jay]

Do all areas of the city contribute to the problem?  I'm pretty sure storm water in my area goes to a nearby stream and not to a sanitary sewer.

[Why?Town]

Sewer rates of residents living outside of the city are fixed by the county (either Mahoning or Trumbull). Even though Youngstown supplies water to some areas outside of the City, they do not furnish sewer service. They have billing agreements with the counties to collect the fees with the water bill, but the money goes to the counties.

Also, Youngstown residents can apply for a sewer deduct meter for water used outdoors that will not enter the sewer system.
Therefore, Why? Town's uninformed argument is pure nonsense.

"Fixed by the county", so the MSCE sets the rates. OK I'll buy that. But so far we are uninformed of is who the consultant was consulting and if Youngstown residents have someone else providing their sewer service.

As for the information you shared about the sewer deduct meters, you stated that Youngstown residents can apply for a sewer deduct meter. Are you you informing, or maybe just implying, that only people in the city can apply or are you just leaving everyone uninformed that people outside the city could apply for it too? Also you seem to be leaving us uninformed as to the cost of getting a sewer deduct meter. While the meter may, or may not be free, plumbers aren't free and some type of permit fee and inspection being required wouldn't surprise me.


To say my post is an argument of any type, even without adding the adjective "uninformed" to it and then calling it pure nonsense might be an attempt to start an argument by using pure nonsense.

[jazz218]

In a nutshell, Jay, Youngstown's current sewage system improvement plan was devised as an alternative to completely separating storm sewer and sanitary sewer systems, which in Youngstown and most older cities were originally built as a combined system. These systems were constructed many years before the enactment of the Clean Water Act in 1973.

Youngstown's combined system actually functions pretty well except during very heavy rains when a combination of rain water and sanitary water overflow into surrounding streams and rivers. The EPA's position has been that these overflow points are illegal and must be eliminated. So the proposed improvements center around getting more flow to the treatment plant and less to the overflows.

The debate with EPA has for many years centered around how much to take to the plant and how much is permitted to go to the overflows. what has completely escaped the resolution of this debate is how Youngstown is supposed to pay for what will eventually amount to around $500 million worth of engineering and construction. 

[joly1584]

These upgrades are mandated by the EPA, some reports say federal and some say Ohio.  Vindy has a good article explaining this.


http://www.vindy.com/news/2018/oct/23/city-urged-to-raise-sewer-rates

[jay]

Is it true that the sewage plant upgrades are needed to eliminate the problems caused by the combined sewage and storm sewers?

[jazz218]

Sewer rates of residents living outside of the city are fixed by the county (either Mahoning or Trumbull). Even though Youngstown supplies water to some areas outside of the City, they do not furnish sewer service. They have billing agreements with the counties to collect the fees with the water bill, but the money goes to the counties.

Also, Youngstown residents can apply for a sewer deduct meter for water used outdoors that will not enter the sewer system.
Therefore, Why? Town's uninformed argument is pure nonsense.

[Rushblvd]

You should be the consultant- At least your part of the community so the $$$$$  you would make "Consulting" would go back into the community

[Why?Town]

My sewer rates are paid to Youngstown Water. The same communistic government owned company that not only overprices the water but adds a surcharge to anyone outside the city. I'm in Austintown and I'm pretty sure the water goes through Austintown to get to the city but we get the surcharge too.

As for the sewage rate, they charge that for every drop of water they sell you even if it doesn't go down the drain into their sewer system.

Watering flowers? Washing the car? Filling the grandkid's inflatable swimming pool? Filling the dog bowl? PAY! PAY! PAY! PAY!

Also keep in mind 8 x 5 = 40 so on the surface this is a 40% increase but the 8% increase makes the base higher every time so the 8% becomes a slightly larger $$ amount every year.

Here's a sad example of 8% for each of the 5 years:

$100.00 base
$108.00
$116.64
$125.97
$136.05
$146.93

8% x 5 = 46.9%

I started with $100 to make it easy, I will say the sewer rate is only about half of the bill which does reduce the the total bill's increase to around 4% a year or 22% over those 5 years.

I also wonder what the consultant cost and how do I become one?

[Rushblvd]

Why 8%?
Why 5 years?
What is the projected $$ they see the City to make?
What fund does that money go to?
Is this because of the misuse of the previous admin...

Just asking

[jay]

A consultant has suggested that Youngstown's sewer rates should increase by 8% annually for five years.

What do you think about this proposal?