If at first you can’t agree, hold a workshop.
That’s what the Oxford Village Council decided to do with regard to a proposal from Manager Joe Young to enact new fees and raise existing fees for a variety of services and facilities provided by the municipality.
Councilman Bryan Cloutier suggested putting together a committee to review Young’s proposal, but it was decided to go the workshop route, which didn’t exactly thrill him.
‘I’ve been in workshops with this group and we often don’t agree ? and get nowhere,? Cloutier said.
The workshop has been tentatively scheduled for 5 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 25 in the village’s community room at 22 W. Burdick St.
Young presented a list of potential fee changes back in June. He’s since made revisions in response to council comments and based on a review of the actual costs associated with providing village services and facilities.
For example, the manager originally proposed charging $3 each for additional copies of property tax bills.
Currently, there is no fee.
That idea did not go over well with council.
‘Really? We’re going to charge someone for a tax bill,? Cloutier said. ‘We charge them how much already for the privilege of living in our town and we’re going to charge them for a damn tax bill.?
Councilwoman Maureen Helmuth agreed.
‘If the mortgage company calls and wants a second copy of the tax bill, I think the mortgage company should have to pay. I don’t think the residents should have to pay,? she said.
In his revised list of proposed fees, there is no charge to residents for tax bills, but there is a 50-cent fee for others.
By far, the largest proposed increases are related to what the village charges new customers to connect to the water and sewer systems.
For example, right now, the village charges a $700 tap fee, plus a $900 capital charge for hooking up a new ?-inch residential water line. For a 1-inch residential line, there’s an $800 tap fee and an $1,100 capital charge.
Young proposed the ?-inch line fees be increased to $1,900 for the tap fee and $1,350 for the capital charge. The 1-inch would be increased to $1,950 for the tap fee and $1,650 for the capital charge.
Young explained the $1,900 and $1,950 tap fees represent the Department of Public Works? actual cost to make the connections.
The increased capital charges are designed to bank money for future water main projects, according to the manager.
‘At some point, those are going to need to be replaced,? Young told this reporter. ‘It’s just anticipating future costs.?
Residential sewer tap fees would go from $2,000 to $3,000. Commercial/industrial sewer tap fees would also increase from $2,000 to $3,000.
Sewer capital charges would go from $800 to $1,200 for new residential users, while new commercial/industrial users would pay $2,250, which represents a $750 increase.
As with the water capital charges, the increased sewer fees are also meant to save money for future repairs and replacement projects when the need arises, according to Young.
Young lowered his proposed fees for rental of the village’s community room located inside the W. Burdick St. municipal complex. Currently, there is no charge to rent this room.
Originally, he proposed charging an hourly rate ranging from $10 to $35 depending on whether the room was being rented for non-profit or for-profit purposes and by a resident or non-resident.
Since then, Young determined it actually costs the village $12.81 per day for utilities and maintenance associated with this room.
As a result, he proposed charging village residents looking to rent the room for events or classes of a for-profit or fee-based nature, $5 for a half-day and $10 for a full day. Non-residents would be charged $10 for a half-day and $20 for a full day.
Residents renting the room for non-profit and private events that have no fees associated with them would pay $2.50 for a half-day and $5 for a full day. Non-residents would be charged $5 for a half-day and $10 for a full day.
Young originally suggested charging hourly rates for the rental of Centennial and Scripter parks as well, but scrapped those fees in his revised proposal.
Increases in certain fees charged by the police department are being considered as well.
For example, the village police currently don’t charge for responding to false alarms generated by security systems.
That would change under Young’s proposal.
The first time would remain free, however, the charges for subsequent false alarms would start at $25 for the second call and increase by $25 increments until the $100 maximum was reached for the fifth call and beyond.