A new city water ordinance is putting some Eldon business and property owners in an outrage. The city has raised its water and sewer rates, plus changed the way they bill customers who own multi-unit commercial and residential buildings.

Before the change, the city billed customers $7.11 per meter, per month plus the cost of water they used. Now, the city is charging these minimum monthly rates, plus the cost of water. 

3/4 inch-1 inch Meter: $14.45

1 1/2 inch Meter: $24.10

2 inch: $37.37

3 inch:  $135.10

4 inch: $171.29

But the main difference is now, the city is charging property owners a monthly minimum fee for every unit in a multi-unit building or complex;  like a strip mall, mobile home park or apartment complex.

Eldon Resident Debbie Parkhurst said, "For the city to hit us with this; if it doesn't change we could have to file bankruptcy."

Debbie Parkhurst and her husband bought a small mobile home park a few years back to bring in some extra cash. But when last month's water and sewer bill more than doubled, now they're just trying to pay it and keep their tenants.

"I can't afford to pass the increase along to them. They will move,” said Parkhurst. "They will go somewhere else. Then, I'll be without a trailer to make the bank payment or the water bill."

Joan Jungmeyer owns an Eldon strip mall. Her water and sewer bill more than tripled even though she used 400 fewer gallons of water that month.

Joan Jungmeyer said, "To create a virtual fee for a virtual meter that does not exist, I think, is the same as stealing."

Instead of charging one fee per meter and the amount of water used, like in the past, the city is now charging an additional fee for every "unit" in the building or complex. City Administrator Frank Schoneboom refers to it as a door charge.

Frank Schoneboom, Eldon City Administrator said,  "Instead of billing by meter, we started billing by the, for lack of a better term, the 'door'."

Schoneboom, who originally proposed the change, says the bottom line, the city needed the cash flow.

"We needed the money. The cost of things are going up. We were experiencing more and more water line breaks, more and more repair activities. That coupled with the fact that we're getting hit with more and more renewal activities; it necessitated a change," said Schoneboom.

KRCG checked in with more than a half dozen local cities. While some cities are considering small water rate hikes in the future, none of the cities I talked with charge a multi-unit water fee like the one in Eldon.

A businessman that works with a Mid-West property group says he's never heard of such a thing. The monthly bill for Willow Creek Retirement Community and Apartments, went up nearly $2,000. They went from being charged for 17 meters to 65, even though water consumption was unchanged.

“It really needs to be based on usage. That's really the only fair way possibly to bill for water and sewer," Joey Holmgren, General Partner with Willow Creek, said.

Now, concerned residents are waiting to hear back from their state reps and the Attorney General on what they can do next. Meanwhile, city officials are looking forward to writing up the next budget, without take a dip into their reserves.

Schoneboom pointed out there was little to no opposition during the council meetings leading up to the ordinance's passing in November. He says he's had plenty of positive feedback to the new ordinance, as well.

Schoneboom said nursing homes and motels are exempt from the new charges because they're considered more communal and temporary residences.

We also found out the City of Lake Ozark does impose a "per unit" fee for their sewer rates, but not for water.

What do you think about Eldon’s new water rates and billing structure? What about your own city? How are your water rates and billing methods handled? Let us know. Leave a comment below.