The City of Alachua adjusted its rates for water and wastewater utility services effective May 1, 2010. Public hearings were conducted by the City Commission on March 22, 2010 and April 12, 2010 to adopt these rates. Prior to the rate adjustments, the City noticed the public hearings in a local newspaper on April 1, 2010 and April 8, 2010, on the City’s website, at City Hall, at the Alachua Post Office and at the Alachua Public Library. However, an additional notice of the public hearing should have been included in the City’s utility billing process prior to any rate increase.
Therefore, the City will be applying adjustments to customers’ accounts for rate differences during the months of May, June and July. The adjustments will be reflected on customers’ next utility bills.The City is scheduling public hearings on August 9, 2010 and August 23, 2010 to consider adoption of the new water and wastewater rates. The City will ensure all public hearing notices are properly issued for the proposed rate increases.
City Manager Traci Cain stated that, “Once the City discovered the issue, it immediately took corrective action.”
