JUNEAU — After years of negotiation, litigation and revision, an amendment to Juneau's sanitary sewer ordinance received its first reading Tuesday night at the regular meeting of the Juneau City Council.
The 13-page document, summarized by Juneau Utility president Dan Wegener and city attorney Joe Sciascia, sets out terms, definitions and rates for sewer users, with particular attention paid to large-volume contributors to the city's wastewater stream.
"This will have minimal impact as far as residential users are concerned," Wegener said of the proposed changes that affect only sewer rates, water and electric utility charges would be unchanged by passage of the proposed amendments at a later council meeting.
The council unanimously passed changes to Juneau's sewer-rate structure in December 2006, but portions of that ordinance were met with objections from Sensient Industries, a significant contributor to the city's sewer system.
"Sensient is a major user and contributes about half of the daily loading at the treatment plant," Wegener said.
Sensient's objections were aired before the Wisconsin Public Service Commission last year and Sciascia told the council Tuesday, "The public service commission has directed the city of Juneau to adopt a new sewer rate for significant industrial users.
"Due to the unique circumstances each user has, we found it difficult to adopt a rate," Sciascia said.
Instead, he said a "custom service rate" would be specified in the wastewater discharge permit issued to each significant industrial user.
As is customary with Juneau ordinances and amendments to them, the language changes proposed Tuesday night will receive a second council reading in order to allow public comment prior to enactment.
That second reading and likely council vote are slated for July 14, with the ordinance's effective date listed as Aug. 1.
Wegener also reported on the wastewater-treatment facility's annual compliance and maintenance report which received full council approval, Tuesday.
He noted the facility, its staff and financial management all received "A" grades from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for 2008, but he said due to flooding last spring, the plant's "collection systems" only achieved a "C" rating.
Wegener credited Sensient's cooperation during those days of downpour, stating, "Hat's off to Sensient in June; they didn't open their gate, but filled their pond. If they had not, we'd have been in trouble."