Mar. 27--New Albany Utilities Director Brad Kessans said Thursday that funding will have to come from somewhere to accomplish all the stormwater-improvement projects in the city.

"I see us needing a rate increase in the future," he said.

The upgrades range in scope from minimal work to pricey reconstruction, according to Kessans, whose primary responsibility is to review drainage issues on a daily basis. He said if residents want to see these projects completed, they will require more funding.

Stormwater board Chairman Ron Carroll stated rate jumps are not imminent.

"We don't have any intention of raising rates at the current time," he said.

Carroll also heads the sewer board, which passed several sanitary-rate increase options last year for the city council to consider, though no further action has been taken.

The stormwater board hasn't voted on raised rates, which would typically happen before it's passed onto the council.

Basin permit approved

Wes Christmas, of the city-hired engineering firm Clark-Dietz, told the sewer board that the Indiana Department of Environmental Management approved a permit for construction on phases two and three of Basin 35.

Work will begin near KFC along Charlestown Road, stretching northwest to Grant Line Elementary School. A contract will likely be awarded for construction April 23, when bids will be opened.

The work will extend capacity and allow infrastructure to be built to serve Grant Line Industrial Park West when it comes online. Stonecrest development also is planning on using the line, though they will not be allowed to tap in until the Environmental Protection Agency approves.

Christmas believes construction should start by June.

"The only thing that would keep us [from starting] is if we didn't have all our easements in place," he said.

Stonecrest developers agreed to pay tap-in fees upfront to help get the work started. Though the city won't receive those fees until the development is approved to connect to the system, Christmas said the work is needed regardless.

"We didn't just want to sit here and keep waiting," he said. "It's not going to hurt us to put in a line."

The price for phases two and three is more than $1.1 million.

The board also awarded a contract to TSI Paving to repair Basin 5. TSI submitted the low bid of $224,710 for the work, pending legal review.

Utility bills in the mail

Kelly Welsh, utilities billing director for the city, said approximately $900,000 worth of bills were sent out this month. She believes that will be around the average for awhile.

"That doesn't mean that's what we're going to collect every month," Welsh warned, as some payments are received past due.

She said the office received several compliments since returning billing services in-house. The biggest complaint has been the lack of a Web site to pay for charges, according to Welsh.

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