Riverside council raises sewer rates

    The Riverside City Council voted Monday to approve the third and final reading of an ordinance that will change the city?s sewer rates. The sewer rates are now $9 for the first 3,000 gallons and $3 for every 1,000 gallons after that. The new sewer rates will be $9 for the first 1,000 gallons and then $3 for every 1,000 gallons after that. However, residents will be charged $5 for every 1,000 gallons they use over 50,000 gallons. The new sewer rates are now the same as the water rates. The rate hike marks the first time in 15 years the city has increased its sewer rates.

    The council also further discussed the nuisance at councilor Ralph Schnoebelen?s property at 450 East Fourth Street. At its July 14 meeting, the council passed a series of motions that required Schnoebelen to clean up his property by performing tasks such as covering the tractor tires, stacking the wheel weights and removing the batteries and scrap iron from public view.

    At the conclusion of the discussion, the council decided to give Schnoebelen two more months to stack and cover his tires. To verify the abatement of the other nuisances, McDole and Waldschmidt will examine Schnoebelen?s property before the next council meeting and will report to the rest of the council what they find.

    Schnoebelen said he has stacked his tires but has not covered them. Throughout the meeting, Schnoebelen said that what he was asked to do is not required by the city ordinances.

    ?I don?t understand it,? Schnoebelen said. ?I see there are other tires around town that aren?t covered. Is there an ordinance that says they need to be covered??

    Councilor Kevin Kiene asked Schnoebelen when he would have the tires stacked and covered as the council requested.

    ?You know, we got to make some money, too, so we can?t work on this all the time,? said Schnoebelen.

    ?I understand that,? said Kiene. ?Just give me a straight answer. When is it going to be done??

    ?I don?t know,? said Schnoebelen. ?It might be September.?

    Schnoebelen also said his battery supplier picks up old batteries once every two weeks, and that the supplier says it?s fine to store the batteries outside.

    ?They said it?s no different than a vehicle battery because it?s closed,? said Schnoebelen. ?What does the ordinance say on batteries? Do the batteries have to be inside, because they say they?re better outside??

    Schnoebelen continued, ?You people don?t understand what you?re saying when you say we don?t know how to do this. We?ve been in business 50 years, and we have to follow the guidelines, or we wouldn?t be able to have insurance.?

For the full story, see the Aug. 3 edition of The Washington Evening Journal