Jamestown Board of Public Utilities meeting (December 19, 2022)

Solid waste fees will be going up in 2023 for Jamestown Board of Public Utilities customers.

The BPU Board approved the rate increase for residential and some commercial customers.

BPU General Manager Dave Leathers said some expenses in solid waste went up significantly in 2022 including fuel expenses, landfill tipping fees and labor costs, “The division is going to end with a net loss this year. So, as we looked at that, you know we want to continue to give financial credit as an incentive for people to recycle, so we thought it was time to bump that up a little bit. But the overall rate went up a $1.50 and if you recycle once a billing period as a residential customer, the overall rate goes up $1 per month. So, we felt that was manageable.”

Leathers said most dumpster service rates are doubling for 2023. He said everyone who receives that service has been notified already.

The BPU Board also approved the Electric Division’s budget with no rate adjustment for 2023.

Monday’s meeting also was the first time the meeting was livestreamed on the BPU’s website. Leathers said the video of the meetings will be archived on their site at jamestownbpu.com/live

The Board will vote on both the 2023 Solid Waste and Electric Division budgets. There is no rate increase for the Electric division.

For the solid waste division, the proposed rate increase is $1.50 per month for the basic service charge for all residential customers. Additionally, there is a proposed $0.50 increase to the monthly recycling credit. For residential customers who recycle at least once during a billing cycle, the rate will increase $1.00, from $12.50/month to $13.50/month. A similar increase is requested for small commercial customers.

A 100% rate increase is proposed for dumpster service.

The meeting is open to the public and will take place at 4:30 p.m. in the Board Room of the BPU Operations Center located at 92 Steele Street. The meeting will also be livestreamed at www.jamestownbpu.com/live.

Jamestown BPU Board meeting on November 21, 2022

The Jamestown Board of Public Utilities passed a 3% water rate increase for 2023 at its meeting Monday.

While the water division has an increase, the wastewater division rate is staying the same. The rate will be effective January 1, 2023.

The board also heard a presentation on the proposed 2023 Electric Budget.

General Manager Dave Leathers said the budget presents no surprises with the division stable and under control, “Obviously, with supply chain issues, lead time issues, inflationary issues, I mean, there’s costs expense creep. We had not had a rate increase since March of 2016 and so that’s quite a ways. So, we’re looking for the future here, so we’re looking more toward the end of 2023 and ’24 if there’s a need for a rate case, so I’d say that’s one item we talked a bit about.”

In order to increase the rate, the BPU has to make a request to the New York State Public Service Commission. Leathers said that process can take 12 months.

Leathers said the board is looking at what’s coming from the state under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection act in the coming years. In terms of capital projects in the near future related to that legislation, Leathers said 2023 and 2024 will be more engineering studies and preparatory work.

Also, video livestreaming, which was supposed to start this month, had to be postponed until the BPU’s meeting on December 19 due to the absence of the staff member who is to run the streaming program.

While there is no rate increase for 2023 for the Wastewater budget, the water division’s proposed budget includes a 3% rate increase.

The meeting takes place at 4:30 p.m. in the Board Room of the BPU Operations Center at 92 Steele Street.

The meeting also will be livestreamed for the first time at www.jamestownbpu.com/live.

Jamestown Board of Public Utilities Board meeting (October 24, 2022)

The Jamestown Board of Public Utilities board has approved the 2023 District Heating budget with no increase and will be considering a proposed 3% increase in Solid Waste and Water rates.

BPU General Manager Dave Leathers said he hopes to see Solid Waste, Wastewater and Water Budgets approved in November. He said all budgets are seeing difficulties on the expense side, “All line items on the expense side are threatened by inflationary costs, supply chain challenges, not necessarily personnel, but I think that’s the biggest issue right now. And we’re really being careful in trying to be considerate that we don’t just have rate increases in all divisions. So, as presented I think we’ll have District Heat and Wastewater with no rate adjustment for 2023.”

Leathers said the draft Electric budget will be reviewed at the November board meeting and approved in December.