Summary
The Suttons Bay Village Utility/Marina Committee met on November 4, 2024, to review staff reports on the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), marina operations, and public works, and to discuss two major financial items: the proposed 2025 Marina Fee Schedule and a proposed 2025 water rate increase. No formal votes were recorded; both matters were positioned for further discussion and eventual recommendation to the Village Council.
Infrastructure Projects
The WWTP (operated under Jacobs Engineering, Project Manager Mark Huggard) reported full compliance with its NPDES permit for October 2024. Holding tank waste receiving resumed with a reduced daily limit of three loads per hauler after a temporary suspension caused by high volumes and hauler scheduling issues late in 2024. Windemuller Electric completed PLC replacements on Nodes 2 and 4; Node 6 integration was postponed by the contractor pending parts availability. Diffusor inspection/repair and disk filter cleaning were completed; surge arrestors were replaced under warranty. Monthly average influent flow was 0.072 MGD (versus 0.084 MGD in 2023), and hauled truck waste totaled 33,661 gallons for the month.
Staff (Report VSB-2024-51) proposed a 2025 water rate increase, the first in 17 years, citing state-mandated replacement of water service lines and the need to expand water storage capacity. Most residential/business customers would see about a $4/month increase, with larger meter users seeing increases up to $100/month. Staff presented four options: (1) budget a rate study in 2025 and wait for results before raising rates; (2) budget a study but implement the increase now; (3) postpone the study and implement the increase now; (4) wait until 2026 to discuss rates. The committee was asked to discuss and form a recommendation to the Village Council; no decision was recorded.
Harbor Master Edie Aylsworth proposed a 2025 Marina Fee Schedule increase: Main Marina seasonal slip rate from $89/ft to $94/ft (about 5.5% increase), with a flat $2,350 rate for boats 25 ft and under; Coal Dock rate from $79/ft to $84/ft (about 2% increase), with a flat $2,100 rate for boats 25 ft and under. She also proposed moving transient rates from Michigan Waterways Schedule F to Schedule G, raising the rate from $1.48/ft to $1.60/ft.
Other Business
The DNR (Linnae Dawson, Waterways Program Analyst) notified the Village that 2025 Waterways Rate Schedules are unchanged from 2024 and that selected seasonal/transient rates were due to the DNR by November 1, 2024. Facility Information Sheets are due by year-end 2024.
Financial Summary
WWTP financials for October 2024: Current Month Electricity $2,235.38; YTD Repairs $4,420.82 (Repair Budget Remaining, $6,000 limit: $1,579.18); YTD Repair Labor Hours 13.50 (Remaining of 104-hour limit: 90.50); YTD Chemicals $10,859.12 (Chemical Budget, $11,200 limit); YTD Natural Gas $5,906.41 (Utility Budget Remaining, $13,200 limit: $7,293.59).
Action Items
- Committee to discuss and form a recommendation to the Village Council on the 2025 Marina Fee Schedule proposed by Harbor Master Edie Aylsworth.
- Committee to discuss the four water rate options in Report VSB-2024-51 and provide a recommendation to the Village Council.
- Village to continue pursuing funding for mandated water line replacement and water storage expansion.
- Node 6 PLC integration completion pending contractor parts availability (no firm date).