News Flash

By Cassie McClure and Suzanne Michaels

Published in the Las Cruces Sun-News 9/22/19 

Las Cruces Utilities (LCU) provides four different utility services – gas, water, wastewater, and solid waste – to the residents and businesses of Las Cruces. LCU bills monthly to recover the costs of providing those services, and every few years must review rates to ensure that billing is keeping up with the actual costs of providing the utility services.

Currently, the Utility Customer Advisory Group (UCAG), a group of five (5) volunteer ratepayers, is reviewing solid waste rates, which would recover the cost of disposing of 74,400 tons of trash every year. That effort involves providing weekly curbside trash pickup to more than 33,000 homes, commercial trash pickup at more than 2,700 businesses, monthly Grappler and Green Grappler services, and clean fill and green waste management at the closed Old Foothills Landfill.

The conclusion from the review is that LCU must increase revenues by $1.3 million to recover operating expenses. For residents, that means a $2 per month increase in the cost of curbside trash pickup; whether you have a 96-gallon container or a 64-gallon compact saver container. Commercial accounts will also see an increase.

The question for residents is: Would you prefer that increase be “phased-in” at a $1 monthly increase per year for 2-years, or would you prefer a “full cost” increase of $2 per month in solid waste rates all at once.

UCAG is hosting a total of 12 “Community Conversations” to answer questions and gather input from residents for 2-weeks starting Monday, September 23^rd through Friday, October 4^th.

The UCAG volunteer committee members will be available on the following date and locations to discuss the solid waste rate review:

• Lobby of City Hall (700 N. Main Street) from 4 p.m. – 5 p.m.:
• Tuesday through Friday, September 24^th, 25^th, 26^th, 27^th, and again
• Tuesday through Friday, October 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th
• Regional Aquatic Center (1401 E. Hadley Avenue) from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.:
• Monday, September 23^rd and Monday, September 30^th
• Farmer’s Market on Main Street from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.:
• Saturday, September 28^th (booth near the Splash Pad on the Plaza), and
• Wednesday, October 2^nd (booth near COAS bookstore).
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The $1.3 million figure was determined after months of long analysis by Stantec, Inc., an independent consultant, who studied LCU operating costs, current rates, cost of providing solid waste services to our community, and solid waste rate design. Even with the rate increase, LCU continues to rank among the least expensive solid waste service providers in our region.

With input from the public, the UCAG sends its recommendation to the LCU Board of Commissioners (Board). The LCU Board then sends its recommendation to City Council, which makes the final decision.

“Residents are crucial to making sure that we send the right recommendation to the LCU Board,” explained Eugene Suttmiller, UCAG chair . “Understand that LCU utility services are not funded by tax dollars. The cost of providing these utility services is only recovered through monthly billings we all pay.”

All documents associated with the rate review process are located at www.las-cruces.org, and then simply search for “UCAG.” Customers may also email the UCAG Committee at ucag@las.cruces.org.

You can reach Las Cruces Utilities at 528-3500 from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Las Cruces Utilities provides GAS – WATER – WASTEWATER – SOLID WASTE services to approximately 100,000 Las Cruces residents and businesses.

CAPTIONS:

PHOTO 1: The UCAG committee is composed of five volunteer Las Cruces residents (left to right, front): Frank D. Gomez and Shirley Clark (Vice Chair); (back) Eugene Suttmiller (Chair), Paul Royalty, and Robert Snyder.