At their Nov. 26 meeting, the Pierre City Commission approved changes to a handful of fees; most are construction related, and all will be effective Jan. 1, 2025.
The increases were recommended by staff with the goal of helping services remain sustainable.
“We’re not trying to make money with any of these changes,” said Lacey Walz, City Finance Director. “We’re trying to cover our costs.”
As an example, Walz spoke about the changes to water hydrant meter fees. The meters are rented out by the city for large construction projects and allow water use to be metered from a fire hydrant. Often the meters are returned damaged, come back late, or disappear entirely.
“The fees are designed to encourage those who rent them to be more responsible with the devices. When the equipment is damaged or disappears, the city has to keep purchasing more of them.”
Community members will also see fee changes for other construction-related services like excavations, disposal of rubble and demolition debris, as well as asbestos.
All city residential utility customers will see their monthly recycling fee move from $2.30 a month to $2.40 a month. Non-residential utility customers who use a credit card to gain access to the gated yard waste and recycling area at the Solid Waste Facility will notice the charge increase from $3.50 to $3.60 per trip.
“We researched the recommended fees. They help offset the cost of these services and are in line with fees in other like-sized communities across South Dakota,” said Walz.
For a look at all the fee changes approved at the Nov. 26 meeting, visit CityofPierre.org.