Third reading took place at last night’s council meeting
Guy Jansa, of Jansa Apartments in Saratoga, pleaded with the Saratoga/Carbon County Impact Joint Powers Board (Water and Sewer Board), to not recommend Ordinance 829 as written to the Saratoga Town Council.
Jansa argued the new rates would be a hardship on apartment owners like his mother, Nancy Jansa. The ordinance had beenreferred back to the Water and Sewer Board because of the turnover on the board. Three water and sewer board members had been elected to the governing body.
Glee Johnson, Don Sherrod and Dave Christman are new appointees to the board, with Richard Raymer serving as the council representative. One position, to be assigned by the Carbon County Commissioners, remains open.
Jansa said the ordinance would put a burden on a small percentage of the population and that is was a prejudiced ordinance.
Johnson defended Jansa in his argument, but Raymer said the ordinance takes the prejudice out.
Raymer asked Christman, who participated by phone, if he was ready to pass the ordinance on third reading. Christman, who owns a 16-unit apartment building, said he was not ready to pass it on to third reading.
The motion was made and passed to approve the ordinance for third reading. Christman and Johnson voted against passing the motion.
In Ordinance 829, apartment owners, among other commercial businesses would be charged a sewer fee that is 80 percent of the water usage fee. In his “Friday with the mayor”, Saratoga Mayor Ed Glode explained the other option would be to put a meter on the sewers in the city, which is not a cost effective move.
Jansa presented figures that he believed his mother’s apartment building would be charged. Jansa used an example of 60,000 gallons.
The Saratoga Sun contacted the town of Saratoga and Jansa’s highest usage of water in 2014 was 48,000 gallons. The Jansa Apartment complex does not have a lawn.
Christman’s apartment complex, which consists of 16 units had a high usage of 16,000 in 2014.
The Saratoga Sun contacted three municipalities that had similar populations to Saratoga to find what they charge compared to Saratoga’s new rates.
The comparison will be in the Feb. 25 edition of the Saratoga Sun.
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