By Christine Bryant
Staff Writer
Reynoldsburg residents may soon see a hike in their water and sewer bills.
In October, Reynoldsburg City Council began the process of approving a 4 percent increase in both water and sewer rates.
Mike Root, superintendent of the Reynoldsburg water department, said the city of Columbus, which supplies water to several central Ohio communities including Reynoldsburg, is raising its rates by 3 percent.
The extra 1 percent increase by Reynoldsburg will help cover additional costs the department is incurring, from billing costs to repairs.
Root said it is important for the city to keep an appropriate balance of funds in the event it runs into difficulties collecting payments and must then pay Columbus’ water bill.
“This would also be used for extension of water mains, any new development,” he said.
City Auditor Richard Harris said Columbus’ 3 percent hike stems not only from operational costs, but an effort to pay down debt incurred by improvements mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Currently, the city of Reynoldsburg bills its residents quarterly for water and sewer services, though officials are working toward possibly changing the billing structure so residents would pay monthly instead. However, there is no set timetable when this change may occur, Root said.
Community Center meeting
The city of Reynoldsburg will host a town hall meeting to give residents the opportunity to offer input on the proposed YMCA facility in Reynoldsburg.
The meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 9 in the first floor council chambers at the city municipal building, 7232 E. Main St.
City and YMCA officials will present plans that incorporate all comments received to date from the community.
New playground equipment
Families near Lancaster Avenue and Rodebaugh Road soon will have new playground equipment to enjoy.
The Reynoldsburg Parks and Recreation Department announced that new equipment will be installed at the Rodebaugh Road Park. The old equipment has been removed and installation of the new equipment is planned for early November.
