HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson City Council continued work on the budget for next year during a special meeting held Tuesday morning.
Under the proposed budget, water rates will go up this year by 5.5 percent, while sewer rates will increase
five percent. The increases, along with the stormwater utility fee, are being used to ease some of the backlog of infrastructure improvements that are needed in the city. The city is facing more than $65 million in needed renovations to water and sewer lines.
Residents will start to see some improvements this summer, including a $15 million rebuilding of the stormwater system at 2nd and Cleveland and a new stormwater collection system at Maple and 10th Avenue.
Public Works says it would like to have funding in place to replace three miles of water and sewer line each year, but the city has only enough money budgeted to do about one mile each year.