Council approves hike

The Bloomington City Council gave final approval of a proposed water rate hike Wednesday night. \nThe proposal passed 8-1. Council president Patricia Cole, citing a concern for residents on a fixed-income, was the lone dissenter.\nDirector of Utilities Mike Phillips said that the average residential user would see about $1.70 more in monthly charges, which are expected to be implemented by March of 2002.\n"Nobody likes to see rate increases," said council member Chris Gaal, "but at the same time there's a countervailing responsibility that we have to fund these necessary costs."\nThe rate increase will go towards funding the increased cost of operation and other capital projects, according to Phillips.\n"What we're getting is increased reliability by making these capital investments for replacing critical equipment," said Gaal. "We're making sure there's the capacity for redundancy and backup so that we can ensure reliable service, and perhaps most importantly, we're maintaining our commitment to the public's health and safety."\nThe proposal will be forwarded to the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission for final approval, said Phillips.\nCouncil members unanimously approved a $12.5 million bond request from the utilities department, which would allow them to replace or improve what Phillips described as an "aging infrastructure."\nAmong the projects to be considered are improvements in the city's chemical systems, upgrading water pumps, and the construction of a new water tank near Harrell Road and Moffatt Lane in 2004.\nThe council also gave final approval for a $25,000 grant request from the WonderLab science museum. The money will be used to help construct a gift shop to go along with the 15,000 square-foot, two-story museum.\nDirector Cathy Olmer said they intend to start construction before the end of the year and that the museum should be open to the public by spring of 2003. \nCouncil member Jason Banach provided the only dissent of the proposal, which passed 8-1. Banach said that he would continue to support WonderLab, but asked where the city's role in the project ended. The city had already donated the land at the old Maplefoot parking lot, near Fourth and Morton Streets, to the museum.\n"The measurable economic impact alone justifies our participation," said Nathan Hadley, executive assistant for economic development. "The impact of encouraging youngsters to enjoy the process of learning, while not easily quantifiable, is an even more worthy outcome"