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KC official calls for sewer, water rate increases
Failure to collect on water bills cost Philadelphia millions
Philadelphia's failure to collect water bills drained $132 million from city coffers last year, Controller Alan Butkovitz said yesterday. That's up $12 million from a year ago.
California man wins refund of $5,500 water bill
A Glendale, Calif. man is getting a refund after getting billed $5,500 for allegedly using 1.5 million gallons of water at his home. Glendale Water & Power decided Wednesday that Escott Norton owes just $350, though it says the meter reading was accurate. He'll be credited for about $2,800 in payments. Norton's June bill claimed he used 1.5 million gallons over two months. That's more than the monthly usage at Glendale High School, which has 3,000 students. Norton fought the bill. He told the City Council he didn't use the water and there's no evidence it was stolen, went into storm drains or leaked into the ground. Utility General Manager Glenn Steiger says he doesn't know where the water went. San Jose Mercury News_11/6/09
Denver Water to hike rates 13% in Denver, 9.8% in suburbs
Hollywood, Florida scales back water rate increases
Hollywood city commissioners scaled back increases for water rates on Wednesday, an about-face meant to rescue businesses whose bills went through the roof after officials boosted rates this summer. In June, commissioners approved a water and wastewater rate hike that translated to a noticeable increase for homeowners -- but a bigger wallop for water-intensive businesses such as hotels and coin laundries. Silver Coin Laundry Mat's monthly bill skyrocketed from about $2,344 to $4,359 when the rates increased, city officials said. Under the new rate structure, the bill will drop to $3,220. Wednesday, commissioners unanimously approved a new rate structure that still raises rates but at a lesser amount than previously approved. Commissioners are expected to ratify the vote Nov. 4. Commissioners said the city needs to raise rates to generate money to pay for more than $200 million in upgrades to Hollywood's aging infrastructure. Sun Sentinel_ 10/21/09
Leaders in suburbs of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, protest city's proposed water rate increase
Ten suburban mayors and village presidents are formally objecting to Milwaukee's proposed 36% increase in water rates for suburban ratepayers, saying it would be unfair to force the suburbs to subsidize the city's general fund operations. The 36% increase in what the suburbs would have to pay to tap into Lake Michigan is several times higher than the typical request for higher rates, such as the 3.8% increase that took effect last month. Milwaukee says it needs the rate boost to stem losses in its waterworks operation and to generate $3 million per year for its general fund. General fund money comes primarily from property tax levies and can be spent for a wide variety of purposes. Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel_ 10/12/09
Hearing on 700 percent water cost increase brings out angry customers
South Carolina town approves 45 percent rate hike for water, sewer
Atlanta water billing to be revamped
City Council members did an about-face Tuesday after years of complaining Atlanta water system officials didn't do enough to collect late bills. Now, they want a kinder, gentler system that could give some delinquent customers more time to work with the city before they get their service shut off. "Shutting off someone's water is a Draconian act," said Councilman Howard Shook. "It should be a last resort. It should be applied to people who have systematic, chronic problems." Rob Hunter, commissioner of Watershed, said he currently has no flexibility. City code requires shutoff before an account gets 30 days delinquent, and even if only one penny is overdue. AJC_9/1/09
San Diego City Council to consider 7.75% water rate increase
The City Council's Natural Resources and Culture Committee voted unanimously to send the proposed 7.75 percent water rate increase to the full council for consideration Sept. 8. If it's approved, a typical single-family home in San Diego will experience a water-bill increase of $4.73 a month to $65.76, according to a report from the Water Department. The change would be effective Jan. 1, 2010. 10News.com_ 7/22/09
Bill would block quarterly rate increases by New Jersey American Water
A ruling by the state Board of Public Utilities for a 7.5 percent surcharge for company infrastructure improvements is expected soon since the board already has held public hearings and other proceedings on the year-old request. Approval could result in automatic and fractional quarterly increases that would end when or before the 7.5 percent figure is reached, said company spokesman Richard Barnes. Assemblywoman Dawn Marie Addiego and Assemblyman Scott Rudder, both R-Burlington, are introducing a bill that would ban automatic quarterly increases. They also have written a letter to Gov. Jon S. Corzine expressing outrage at the company's quest for yet another increase. State Public advocate Ronald Chen already has opposed the New Jersey American Water request. The company serves 2.5 million people in 17 counties in New Jersey and is one of 19 state subsidiaries of American Water. A company spokesman said the increase is needed to replace aging infrastructure. Courier-Post_ 7/12/09
Huntsville, Texas cuts water, wastewater basic rates by $2
The City Council approved amending an ordinance by a 6-2 vote Tuesday night to reduce the minimum monthly charge for both water and wastewater by $2 for single-family residential. The minimum monthly charge for the first 2,000 gallons of wastewater will drop from $15 to $13. The minimum monthly charge for the first 3,000 gallons of water used will also drop by $2, but it also depends on the meter size. The reductions will result in the city losing $360,000 — $180,000 in sewer funds and $180,000 in water funds, the city has $3.1 million reserve in water funds. Huntsville Item_ 7/10/09
Water, sewer rates in Atlanta, Georgia rise 12.5 percent
Starting July 1 — Wednesday — water and sewer bills in Atlanta are going up 12.5 percent. The City Council voted in June 2008 to raise those rates in each of the next four years to keep afloat Clean Water Atlanta, the city's $4 billion program to overhaul its aging sewer system and improve water quality. Atlanta Journal Constitution_ 6/30/09
Detroit, Michigan, city council rejects water, sewage rate increases
The Detroit City Council rejected the region's 2009-2010 water and sewage rate increases proposed by the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department. In March, department officials presented the proposed 5.1% water and 15.8% sewer rate increases to the council. Suburban customers would see wholesale increases of 8.9% for water and 2.4% for sewer rates. If the council refuses to raise them, city officials could approach U.S. District Judge John Feikens, who has overseen the department since 1977 as part of a pollution lawsuit settlement, and ask him to order the council to raise the rates. Detroit Free Press_ 6/23/09
New York City Water Board orders 12.9% rate hike
Atlanta, Georgia water customers due $3.9 million in refunds
Atlanta's water and sewer department is sitting on $3.9 million it should have refunded to thousands of customers, an audit reported Wednesday. The audit also found delinquent accounts now total more than $50 million and the department fails to collect millions more every year. Bills are based on estimates, rather than meter readings, for 10,000 accounts every month. And, rate hikes in 2008 were based on overestimates of how much sewer work the Department of Watershed Management could pull off and the actual cost for those projects. These are among 83 findings from the $500,000 audit of the Watershed Management Department. Atlanta Journal-Constitution_ 5/6/09
Tampa, Florida to consider rate surcharge on big water users
The Tampa City Council this month will consider a drought surcharge that could double, or even triple, the bills of big water users. The Southwest Florida Water Management District is pushing a surcharge as a tool to cut water use. The city's rate structure of tiers 0 through 4 is based on water use. The proposal would add two tiers of increasing rates. Tampa Tribune_ 5/5/09
Unread water meters in Cleveland, Ohio, lead to catch-up billing at today's rates
Cleveland Water Division customers whose meters were not read for years are being billed at today's prices for water they used when rates were lower. This could add up to hundreds of dollars for some residents. In the case of Suzie Mayer of Shaker Heights it's a $5,764 combined water and sewer bill for the past two quarters -- astronomical compared to previous quarterly charges averaging $85. Her meter hadn't been read since 2004. Water Commissioner J. Christopher Nielson said bills are calculated at current rates, but adjustments may be considered. Division officials have blamed a manpower shortage for the lack of readings. Cleveland Plain Dealer_ 5/4/09
Syracuse, New York, considers 15% water and sewer rate increase, again
An identical increase was approved last year. If approved, the new rates would go into effect July 1st. WSYR-TV_ 5/2/09
Indiana American Water customers in Southern Indiana would pay $150 more a year on average if a rate increase the company requested yesterday is approved. The 39 percent increase -- $12.51 a month for a customer using 6,000 gallons -- would affect more than 30,000 households in Southern Indiana, raising the average bill to $44.62 a month. Statewide, the utility is seeking an average increase of 28.9 percent from its 1.2 million customers, its first request in 2½ years. Louisville Courier-Journal_ 5/1/09
Lowell, Arkansas, water supplier postpones rate increase
Board members of the Beaver Lake Water District postponed a scheduled rate increase because of the poor economy. But the board cautioned that rates could change at any time if the district fails to sell enough water to stay compliant with stipulations of a $60 million bond it is paying off. Beaver Lake Water District, located in Lowell, sells water at a wholesale rate to the largest cities in Northwest Arkansas. The cities then act as utilities, selling water to residents and companies. Arkansas Democrat-Gazette_ 4/24/09
Judge rules water fee in California's Silicon Valley illegal; customers could get refunds
Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Kevin Murphy found that the Santa Clara Valley Water District's "groundwater extraction fee" requires voter approval under Proposition 218, a state law passed in 1996. Last year, the district made about $72 million from the fee, roughly 20 percent of its $358 million total budget. Whether a refund, or how much of a refund, will be required, is unclear. The judge is scheduled to decide next month. San Jose Mercury-News_ 4/23/09
New creed for Southern California water: Use less, pay more
The Metropolitan Water District, the main supplier for Southern California, is marching toward rate increases of about 40 percent over two years – the largest spike since the early 1990s. Its higher prices could show up as early as September. Some local water districts had planned to boost rates to pay for expenses such as maintaining their own pumps and pipes, so they will add their increases to Metropolitan's. And districts throughout San Diego County are drafting stiff penalties or fees to encourage water conservation amid California's drought. It could feel like a punch in the gut for recession-weary residents, who will have to pay much more for water and use much less. The city of San Diego already charges one of the highest rates among major utilities in the nation, a recent survey shows. Metropolitan is expected to finalize its rate structure April 14. San Diego Union Tribune_ 4/4/09
Water companies hit consumers with restrictions and higher bills
Los Angeles, California water rates revised to penalize heavy users
Warning that the city faces a water shortage this summer, Los Angeles officials approved new water rates Tuesday that will penalize residents if they don't cut their water use by 15%. Many low-income water users should not see a rise in rates, while some homeowners with large lots who don't conserve can expect a jump of $11 a month, according to the Department of Water and Power, which unanimously adopted the pricing structure. The rates would go into effect June 1 unless the City Council blocks the move. Los Angeles Times_ 3/17/09
Houston, Texas raises water rates about 5%
Cleveland residents fight huge water bills; Faulty meter-reading equipment at issue
Survey: Memphians pay lowest water, wastewater rates
Welsh Water says it will take £22 off customers' bills to help ease the cost of water and sewerage services in the recession. The annual bills of 1.2 million customers will show the "dividend" as a discount. Welsh Water is run by Glas Cymru, a not-for-profit company and claims it is the only water utility in the UK paying a dividend this year. Last year its dividend was £21. BBC_ 2/16/09
Texas likely to raise water rates statewide
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the state agency responsible for overseeing water quality throughout the state, is facing a shortfall of at least $20 million unless it receives fee increases to cover its growing costs. The expected increase in water-quality fees will likely mean an increase in 2010 water and sewer rates across the state, though it is too early to say how much it will affect water bills, officials said. Under the maximum increases proposed in the state commission rule changes, the city of Fort Worth, for example, could see its fees for drinking water jump from $50,000 to $517,000 in 2010. Star-Telegram_ 2/15/09
January, 2009
Detroit proposal would hike water rates nearly 10%
United Utilities freezes water rates for UK charities and religious organizations
The company, which operates in Cheshire, Cumbria, Lancashire, Manchester and Merseyside, was among several companies due to raise prices. Hundreds of churches and charities across England have been hit by what they call "sky-high" increases in water company charges. BBC News_ 1/23/09
Indianapolis water customers might sue city agency over billing
A group of Indianapolis waterworks customers is considering suing the city after a judge threw out its overbilling lawsuit against the utility's private manager, Veolia Water. The claims central to the lawsuit are that Veolia failed to take bimonthly readings of many customers' meters and relied too often on inflated usage estimates. The Veolia lawsuit, alleging deceptive practices, among other claims, sought $500 to $1,000 per billing violation. Indystar.com_1/15/09
Water billing springs leak
Cave Creek, Arizona proposes nearly double water rates
Water rates could nearly double in Cave Creek under a new rate system proposed by utility officials. Customers who use 10,000 gallons a month would pay about $77, up from $40. Cave Creek manages the drinking-water supply for 11,000 water users in Cave Creek and parts of Carefree and unincorporated Maricopa County. The town purchased the system, formerly two separate water companies, in 2006 and 2007, respectively. Cave Creek needs an extra $2.6 million a year to cover all operating costs and debt obligations it owes on the system. The town has spent millions of dollars to fix its aging infrastructure. Arizona Republic_ 1/6/09
December, 2008
Rhode Island's Narragansett Bay Commission seeks 11.68% sewer-rate hike
The Narragansett Bay Commission is seeking an 11.68-percent rate increase for sewer users, effective July 1, according to the utility's proposed budget for fiscal 2009. The rate hike, which requires the approval of the R.I. Public Utilities Commission (PUC), is needed to cover increases in operating expenses and debt-service costs related to the financing of ongoing capital improvements, the Bay Commission said. Contributing to the rise in operating costs, among other factors, are bio-solids disposal expenses, which will rise 3.5 percent on Jan 1; and electricity and natural gas usage, which will rise when the Bay Commission's new combined sewage overflow (CSO) facilities at Field's Point come on line in October. Providence Business News_ 12/26/08
Birmingham water works wants to end sewer billing duties
California Water Resources Control Board dramatically increases fees for utilities; consumers couid see rate hikes
Last year, Pacific Gas and Electric paid $100,000 in fees to the state Water Resources Control Board for the privilege of using California's waterways during the course of business. This year, it will pay $1.47 million. An increase of nearly fifteen-fold. That's the biggest fee hike in the state - followed closely by Southern California Edison's hike, from $100,000 to $710,137. This is necessary, the Water Board said, because it moves toward a "polluter pays" approach. Fees increase proportionate to discharge. Cities and counties will pay more in fees to the state Water Board, too.The Water Board hiked fees last week to plug an $18.4 million hole in its budget. Many complained that the board didn't even try to cut back on expenses, and implored it not to go forward with a fee hike when the economy is in free-fall. "It's the easy way out," said Ken Domer, Villa Park city manager. "To simply set your budget then seek the revenue needed is discouraging because we all have a fiduciary responsibility to look at our organizations and programs first for cuts, and then to the taxpayers last. It's not our money and it's sad that concept eludes folks at the state level." Orange County Register_ 10/13/08
Survey: Seattle has highest water and sewer costs in the nation
High water bills in Ogden, Utah prompt talk of city rebates
Ogden's City Council plans to vote next month on proposed rebates for summer water bills that were much higher than anticipated. The city implemented a new surcharge for municipal water customers who use the most water. But the city didn't realize how many customers would be affected by the water-use charge. One resident says he got a bill for almost $1,300 in July alone. City officials are considering about $275,000 in rebates for some customers. Salt Lake Tribune_ 9/21/08
Miami Beach, Florida to raise water, sewer and stormwater fees
In a city where flooding is a common headache, residents will see a hike in their bills for water, sewer and stormwater services when the new budget year starts Oct. 1. The amount of those increases has yet to be determined. City Manager Jorge Gonzalez is proposing that Miami Beach charge residents in single-family homes more than double what they pay now: $31.64 to $32.45 a month for their combined water and sewer fee. Currently, residents pay $12 a month. Gonzalez said most of the increase will go toward helping the city obtain bond financing for new water and sewer pipe installations. Miami Beach needs $50 million to replace its aging water pipes and another $21 million for its sewer pipes. The proposed fee also includes an increase of $0.3649 per 1,000 gallons of water from the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department, which the city is passing on to consumers. Gonzalez further proposed hiking stormwater fees from $5.80 to $13.05 a month. The city needs $94.6 million to replace stormwater drains in several neighborhoods, Gonzalez said. MiamiHerald_ 8/26/08
Water rate conflict in Chattanooga
Tennessee-American Water Co. is fighting back this week against the city's "Fight the Hike" campaign, making its case for a water rate increase with radio and newspaper advertisements and letters to its 75,000 customers. In a mailing received by most customers Thursday, the water utility says most of its proposed 20.58 percent increase is needed to fund a $21.4 million upgrade of its system. Leaders of a the "Fight the Hike" coalition, formed to resist the latest rate increase, claim the utility is trying to make excess profits with its second double-digit rate increase in as many years. The public campaigns by supporters and opponents of Tennessee-American set the stage for next week's hearing of the rate case in Chattanooga by the Tennessee Regulatory Authority, which is scheduled to decide in September how much, if any, water charges will rise this fall. Times Free Press_8/15/08
In Southern California, more renters are paying for water
Welcome to the new era of rent wars as landlords and tenants spar over rapidly escalating residential water costs, who should pay them and how they should be apportioned. The issue is becoming even more urgent in drought-stricken Southern California this year because cash-strapped agencies and cities are hiking water and sewer service charges to offset the reduced supplies and higher cost of importing water. Cities across Orange County have increased water rates. San Clemente hiked rates 9 percent on top of a 5.7 percent raise in 2007. Santa Ana water users saw rates rise twice in the last year. But Darcy Burke, spokeswoman for the Municipal Water District of Orange County, says the retail price of water rose 30 percent over the last five years. With water rates quickly eating a hole in their bottom line, landlords are looking to ways to pass the costs on to tenants. Orange County Register_ 8/12/08
Palm Beach County, Florida, changing water billing after 8,000+ complaints
Palm Beach County water utility managers announced this afternoon they are changing the county's water rates and meter reading system in response to more than 8,000 complaints they received this summer from residents angered by high water bills. With the exception of a few identified leaks, the high water bills were all tabulated correctly, county officials say. The new rates will be based more on the county's facility charge and less on how much water a customer uses. The county also plans to start reading water meters this month instead of estimating how much water a customer has used. The county plans to use a combination of traditional manual meter readers and radio technology that allows meters to be read remotely. Palm Beach Post_ 8/8/08
South Bend, Indiana, wants to change who approves water rates
Voters will decide in November who sets city water rates. The mayor believes it will save thousands of dollars if the city sets those rates. Right now, South Bend's water rates are set by the Indiana Utilities Regulatory Commission (IURC). Monday night, the South Bend Common Council decided to give people the option of letting the council set those rates. City leaders claim this won't be a big change. Mayor Steve Luecke says there is little difference between the rates set by IURC and the rates the city requests. He claims bypassing Indianapolis will save time and money. WSBT_ 7/28/08
San Diego, Californa, coud face two more water rate increases
San Diego residents could be on the hook for two more water-rate increases in coming months, which would bring the total to six price jumps in just over two years. The first proposal – which city staff will present to the City Council tomorrow – is for a 6.26 percent increase starting Jan. 1. It is designed to cover the higher cost of water sold by wholesale agencies. The council likely will approve the proposal in September, because San Diego has few options aside from passing through rising wholesale costs to the city's customers. California's drought is a major factor fueling the escalation in prices. Recently, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and the San Diego County Water Authority boosted their wholesale rates due to the difficulty of securing new water supplies during the drought. The second San Diego rate-increase proposal could spark divisiveness among city officials and the public. It would generate about $12 million to build and operate a pilot facility for turning wastewater into drinking water, a process known as reservoir augmentation, indirect potable reuse or "toilet to tap." San Diego Union Tribune_ 7/27/08
Tarpon Springs, Florida, to raise water, sewer rates
City commissioners on Tuesday voted to raise water and sewer rates to ensure that the fund that sustains the utilities remains healthy. It's especially significant because the city will soon need to issue bonds to pay for a $45-million alternative water plant. The city is also likely to have less money coming in than expected because the number of customers, which was estimated to increase by 2 percent this year, rose by only half a percent. Overall, rates would go up about 4 percent annually for the next nine years, but customers who buy only water would bear the brunt of the cost, paying an average of 8 percent more each year. Single-family households with both water and sewer services that use 6,500 gallons a month currently pay $60.65. In 2009, that total would rise to $63.04, and in 2013, $73.62. By the end of the nine-year term, 2017, the cost would be $86.13. St. Petersburg Times_ 7/26/08
Water rates increasing in northern and western suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia
Water rates across much of Atlanta's northern and western suburbs will increase by at least $3.25 monthly for the average family, beginning in October. Blaming rapid increases in fuel and construction costs, the Cobb County-Marietta Water Authority on Monday voted for the increase, about 50 cents per thousand gallons. The increase includes a previously approved increase of 15 cents per thousand gallons that was to have taken effect next January. Authority General Manager Glenn Page said a decrease in demand brought about by water conservation was responsible for " 25 to 33 percent" of the rate hike. Atlanta Journal-Constitution_ 7/21/08
Grosse Ile, Michigan to join two others in a study of dropping Detroit water
The Grosse Ile Board of Trustees voted unanimously Monday night to chip in for a water-feasibility study with two other Downriver communities, all of which are considering dropping the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department. The township, Trenton and Riverview are paying about $69,000 to determine whether it makes fiscal and logistical sense to break from the region's water system. Community officials say they are concerned about Detroit's increasing water rates and its aging infrastructure. Grosse Ile owns its own wastewater plant, which is run by the firm hired to conduct the feasibility study. Detroit Free Press_ 7/15/08
Water rates in northern California's East Bay region to rise 10% to aid conservation
Leaders of the East Bay's major water district voted Tuesday to put teeth into a water conservation plan, even as some customers complained they were being unfairly bitten. Starting Aug. 1, most of the East Bay Municipal Utility District's 1.3 million customers will pay 10 percent more for water. They will, in addition, face surcharges if they drink, pour or otherwise use more than a personal allocation. The affected region is at the eastern end of San Francisco Bay. The rate hike, which the EBMUD board approved by a 7-0 vote, is an effort to shave 15 percent off water use in the aftermath of a second consecutive year of below-average rainfall. It will also raise $21 million, which, coupled with $31 million pulled from a drought reserve fund, will offset a projected $52 million budget deficit. The increases prompted protest at a public meeting in Oakland attended by about 75 people. Single-family homes are expected to cut 10 percent off their past use or face surcharges. Businesses and factories must save 6 and 3 percent, respectively, while institutions such as schools are expected to save 5 percent. Irrigation must be cut by 15 percent. San Francisco Chronicle_ 7/9/08
California town hikes water rates to encourage conservation
The cost of turning on the water tap is going up in Watsonville. And people who use more than the average household will find their water will get even more expensive as part of a three-tier rate structure designed to encourage conservation. "Unfortunately money does make a difference, and if we have an incentive to reduce our water use, we really need to consider that," said Mayor Kimberly Petersen in support of adding a third tier to the city's rate structure. The rate changes will take place in two phases. Rates will increase 2.9 percent July 1, from an average of $19.63 to $20.15 per month to keep pace with rising operating costs, officials said. A third tier to the city's current two-tier system will go into effect in April 2009 to allow time to educate residents on water conservation. San Jose Mercury News_ 6/25/08
Atlanta, Georgia considers higher water bills
Two proposals to raise Atlanta's water and sewer rates moved forward Tuesday. One would boost rates 27.5 percent this year followed by three consecutive rate hikes at about 12 percent. The other would impose a 15 percent penalty to make up for water revenue the city has lost through conservation during the drought. Both moved without a formal recommendation of support but will be considered by the council over the next 20 days as the panel tries to wrap up the fiscal year 2009 budget. Water utility officials say the increases are needed to continue to pay for the bonds Atlanta is using for the $4 billion program to overhaul its aging water and sewer systems. Atlanta Journal Constitution_ 6/11/08
Southern U.S. water providers raise rates despite conservation
After months of putting up with brown lawns and dirty cars to conserve water, many residents of the drought-stricken Southeast are now paying sharp rate increases from utilities scrambling to make up lost revenue. It's like a conservation penalty — cut back, then pay more. But utility operators say they have little choice. Drought-inspired rate hikes and surcharges are somewhat common in parched communities in the West, but it's a new concern for many utilities in the Southeast used to an abundant water supply. Georgia usually gets about 50 inches of rain a year, compared to about 13 in Arizona. Rainfall deficits, higher demand and a three-state fight over federal water resources combined to plunge Georgia into its worst drought in recorded history. Help — of sorts — is on the way. At a water efficiency conference in College Park, officials invited utility heads to submit proposals for some $40 million in state funding for more reservoirs. But the process could likely take decades. AP_ 5/26/08
New York City water rates rising 14.5 percent after big boost in 2007
New York City water and sewer rates are set to rise 14.5 percent this summer, marking the biggest increase in 16 years and the second double-digit jump in a year. The city Water Board approved the increase Friday, over objections from the city comptroller and several City Council members. The new rate takes effect in July. The average single-family homeowner's bill will rise from $700 to $800 per year. The increase comes on top of an 11.5-percent boost last year. The city Department of Environmental Protection says it needs more money to cover surging fuel costs and service improvements. The coming rate hike is the biggest since a 22.9-percent spike in 1992. Newsday_ 5/16/08
Water bills in two Maryland counties to increase 8% on July 1
Residents of Prince George's and Montgomery counties will see their rates for water use jump by 8 percent starting July 1, raising the average customer's quarterly bill by $11.25. Meeting jointly, the councils of the two counties agreed to the increase yesterday as they approved a $913.7 million budget for the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission, which provides water and sewer service to 1.8 million customers in the counties. The budget will fund the utility's operations as well as the replacement of 27 miles of water lines and 51 miles of sewer pipes. The commissioners agreed in February to an 8 percent increase after the members who represent the counties clashed over a proposal by the utility to raise rates by 9.5 percent. Utility managers also wanted to impose a monthly $20 fee devoted to replacing the system's 10,800 miles of underground water and sewer pipes. The managers said there is a desperate need to take action to prevent breaks. With the 9.5 percent increase and the fee, water bills would have risen 50 percent starting in July. Commissioners rejected the fee in February. There were 2,129 breaks last year, a record. The utility froze rates from fiscal 1999 through 2004, a time of restructuring during which officials said that maintenance was put on hold. Washington Post_ 5/9/08
Save water, pay extra: Some cry foul;Atlanta plans rate increases; others may follow
Increase in L.A. water, power rates get initial OK
Socking Angelenos with higher water and power bills beginning this summer, the Los Angeles City Council gave initial approval Wednesday for the Department of Water and Power to raise rates to fund improvements to the city's aging utility infrastructure. The decision came after more than three hours of debate and staunch opposition by dozens of neighborhood council members who warned that the higher utility bills will strain already struggling households. Both the power-and water-rate increases will be voted on a second time next week. When finalized, water rates will increase 3.1 percent July 1 and another 3.1 percent July 1, 2009. LA Daily News_4/3/08
Southern California's Metropolitan Water District approves 14% rate hike for imported water; rates to rise again in 2010 and 2011
The Metropolitan Water District board on Tuesday approved a 14.3% increase in the 2009 rates it will charge for imported water, a hike that will vary widely in the dollars it adds to Southern California household water bills. The increase is a harsh reminder of water shortages caused by dry weather in California, drought in the Rockies and a court ruling hundreds of miles away, board members said. Some members argued unsuccessfully that rates should rise 20%, an increase that would reflect the full cost of importing water. Next year, the MWD will take $166 million from already low reserves to balance the budget, officials said. The 14.3% increase will go into effect Jan. 1, 2009, and rates are expected to rise again substantially in 2010 and 2011, they said. The board's largest voting blocs -- representing Los Angeles, San Diego and the Municipal Water District of Orange County -- all supported the rate increase. Board Chairman Timothy F. Brick said in a statement after the meeting that the MWD must work with its 26 member cities and agencies to manage rising costs, including through "more aggressive water conservation." Some critics have said the MWD has not championed conservation to reduce imported water use and keep rates down. The rate increase will help fund the MWD's budget for next year of $1.98 billion, a 7% increase from this year. Los Angeles Times 3/12/08 (logon required)
Southern California's Metropolitan Water District weighs 14% rate hike for 2009; largest since early 1990s
The board of the Metropolitan Water District is to vote this week on a proposed 14.3% increase in the 2009 rates it would charge cities and water districts serving 18 million people in Southern California. Although the cities and districts would then determine how much more residents would pay, MWD officials estimated that the hike would add about $1.50 to monthly bills for an average household, varying widely from city to city. If the increase is approved by a panel of the MWD board today and the full board Tuesday, it would take effect Jan. 1. Rates could rise again by 6% to 12% in 2010 and 5% to 10% in 2011, said Brian G. Thomas, chief financial officer and assistant general manager. Driving the rate increase are the costs of buying extra water to offset a barrage of shortages resulting from last year's dry weather, a prolonged drought in the Colorado River Basin and a court decision reducing deliveries from the north to protect the endangered Delta smelt. Los Angeles Times_ 3/10/08 (logon required)
Water Rate freeze comes home to roost
Atlanta city goal: Fix all water meters; $16 million written off because of disputed water bills
Atlanta officials insisted last week they'll finish the city's $35 million project to replace or repair 150,000 water meters by the scheduled July 2009 completion date. The problem of broken water meters is costly to the city. In 2005 and 2006, the city wrote off at least $16 million because of disputed water bills, according to an internal audit report on the project released earlier this month. The city often estimates water use when the meters are broken. The audit report found the city may have underestimated problems it would encounter to complete the work, which city officials said is 12 percent behind schedule. Watershed Management Commissioner Rob Hunter told the City Council's Utilities Committee last week he tried to "get a five-year project done in three years."
Atlanta Journal Constitution_1/24/08
Lots of rain leaves North Texas cities looking at rate increases
The North Texas Municipal Water District serves about 2 million people and draws most of its water from Lavon Lake. Last year, consumption fell by nearly 25 percent. Yet for the 13 suburbs north and east of Dallas that rely on Lavon and make up the North Texas Municipal Water District, the recent wet weather has played havoc with city budgets and, in a few unlucky communities, could lead to higher water bills. This is what happens when a century-old water-billing system built around presumptions of drought and increasing demand experiences neither. Critics go one further. They say the arrangement encourages people to use more water, not less, and is in dire need of reform. The district adheres to an approach known as "take or pay," in which municipalities essentially prepay for water in bulk from the water district. Cities must pay for the water regardless of whether they use it all. The practice guarantees a steady cash flow for water system improvements and expansion and shields cities from fluctuations in water prices. But a spate of wet weather can turn the system on its head, leaving cities with billions of gallons of unused, paid-for water. Moreover, cities often must buy more water than they need: A city's allotment is equal to the amount it consumed in its year of highest use. The region tallied over 50 inches of rainfall last year – the most since 1991 and one of the wettest years on record, according to the National Weather Service. In contrast, the area received about 49 inches in the previous two years combined. Dallas Morning News_ 1/14/08
Raleigh, North Carolina mayor calls for water surcharge
Mayor Charles Meeker said today he will ask the City Council to approve a 50 percent surcharge on water and sewer consumption rates. Meeker said the surcharge, which would go into effect for water used after March 1 and appear on bills in May, would encourage conservation and help fund the utility system during a period when it is selling less water to its customers. The surcharge would remain in effect as long as the drought persists. Meeker said homeowners can offset the increased cost by using less water. The mayor is also asking residential customers to limit their water consumption to no more than 25 gallons per person per day. Raleigh News & Observer/Charlotte Observer_ 1/7/08
December, 2007
Longview, Washington sets steep water and sewer rate hikes to finance infrastructure upgrades
Between now and 2010, the city must hike water rates by 44 percent and sewer rates by 27 percent to begin paying back the millions of dollars it must borrow to plan, design and build alternatives to the existing systems, Public Works Director Jeff Cameron told the City Council at a workshop Tuesday. The council will decide this spring whether it will upgrade the 63-year-old Fisher's Lane water treatment plant on the Cowlitz River or drill wells at the Mint Farm Industrial Park. It also needs to choose a plan for sewage treatment in West Longview because the sewage lagoons are full --- all 45 acres of them. The average residential customer paid $20.88 a month for water this year (most customers are billed every two months, though). In 2010, the water rate will be $31.32 a month if the council agrees to it. The council will vote on the issue at the Jan. 10 meeting, which would make the utility rate increases effective Jan. 15. City staff also recommend raising sewer rates to $51.65 a month in 2010. Longview's residential customers now pay $39.89 a month for sewer service. The city has raised its water rates every year since 2002 and sewer rates every year since 2003. Longview Daily News_ 12/19/07
Arizona residents upset over water rates; New tiered structure charges for overuse
Southern California's Metropolitan Water District to raise household water rates 10%; Cut water to agriculture 30%
Los Angeles DWP board approves power, water rate hikes
Methuen, Massachusetts raises water rates an average of $137 per year; Avoids staff layoffs
The City Council last night approved a water rate hike that will increase the average users' bill by $137 a year - the first water rate increase in 15 years. While the mayor had been pushing for a multiple rate structure - to charge more for more water use - the council last night unanimously passed a flat rate - charging all users $2.32 per 100 cubic feet. The average bill that currently costs $181 a year will increase to $318 under the flat rate. Mayor William Manzi said without a rate increase, he would have to lay off nine Water Department employees and make other cuts to the department's $5.1 million budget that council approved in June. Union members and their business agent were at the meeting promising to file a grievance if there were layoffs. Eagle-Tribune_ 9/25/07
Western Ventura Calif. farmers balk over 53 percent water hike
New York City has short list for cutoff of water
After spending much of the last year trying to fix its outdated and unreliable water billing system, New York City is finally getting tough on delinquent ratepayers — but only on 11 of them. The city's Department of Environmental Protection, which runs the largest municipal water system in the country, yesterday issued notices to 11 single-family homeowners around the city warning them that they have 30 days to bring their water bills up to date or their taps will run dry. That might not seem like much of a threat, considering there are tens of thousands of water deadbeats who owe the city about $600 million. An examination of the city's water records by The New York Times last year showed that some owners who had not paid their water bills for more than a decade individually owed the city hundreds of thousands of dollars. But those owners or their properties were not included on the city's first shutoff list yesterday. Instead, the 11 unidentified homeowners have been in arrears for no more than 18 months, and they owe a total of just $53,000. Nonetheless, the service termination notices represent a big step for New York. Unlike other major cities around the nation, New York has not routinely used service terminations to force customers to pay their bills, although it has had the legal authority to do so since 1999. Emily Lloyd, the department's commissioner, said that by starting small, the city would have the chance to ensure that the termination process worked as intended. She said no notices would be issued during the heating season, which runs from Oct. 1 to April 15. But next spring, the city intends to get tough again, perhaps this time on a larger scale. New York Times_ 8/8/07 (logon required)
Canada's builders urge user-pay system for water
Texas cities paying millions for water no one uses
Plano water customers spent $12.1 million on 17.5 billion gallons of water that never flowed through sprinkler heads or water hoses during a five-year period that ended last summer. Water restrictions meant that Plano homeowners saved water. Recent deluges mean even more water savings this summer. But, ironically, the city's contract with its water supplier still requires its citizens to pay for the unused water. The so-called "take-or-pay" system is used throughout Texas and the western United States. Essentially, it requires member cities to buy a volume of water every year that equals a highest-usage year – whether or not they actually use that much. North Texas Municipal Water District officials say their regional network is not about gallons used but providing a strong delivery system of reservoirs, pipelines and pump stations that cities can depend upon year after year. Dallas Morning News_ 7/17/07
Bid to halt San Francisco water rate boost fails
An effort to block a controversial boost in San Francisco's water rates fell apart Monday when Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier missed a committee meeting that was the last chance to stop the two-year, 15 percent increase from taking effect. Without Alioto-Pier, the two-member committee could not hold its scheduled meeting or vote on a homeowner-backed resolution to reject the July 15 rate increase proposed by the city's Public Utilities Commission. But even if the meeting had been held, there is no guarantee Elsbernd's resolution to reject the rate increase would have passed. Alioto-Pier, who said she missed the meeting because of a scheduling mix-up, planned to vote against the plan to block the water rate increase. Under committee rules, a tie vote would have killed the resolution, although the members could have agreed to forward it to the board without a recommendation. Most groups in the city found something to dislike about the planned water rate boost, but homeowner groups have complained the loudest. They were especially upset over the PUC's plan for a tiered-rate system that would affect only single-family homes. The new rates will boost the combined monthly water/sewer bill for the average, three-member family by 9 percent in 2007-08 and an additional 10 percent in 2008-09, according to PUC figures. That average $52.80 bill will rise almost immediately to $57.39 and then to $63.06 in a year. The average monthly water bill will go up $1.75, to $20.84, and then rise to $23.10 next year. The combined water-sewer cost is less than the average monthly bill for Los Angeles, San Diego, Palo Alto and Oakland, but higher than the average bill for San Jose, Fremont or Santa Clara. San Francisco Chronicle_ 7/10/07
June, 2007
Cambria, California could see water and sewer rate increases
The 2007 plan isn't quite finished. But the study is far enough along that officials want to explain the major concepts behind the report and get the public's comments about the process so far. Since November 2001, the district has capped new water connections, and it won't issue new ones until the town's water shortage can be solved. Bills paid bimonthly by the district's water and sewer customers are supposed to keep those departments in the black. However, that hasn't been the case for some time, even with the district's 5 percent rate increase last year. While federal funds have been promised for a desalination project, Congress hasn't yet appropriated the money. San Luis Obispo Tribune_ 6/10/07
Tampa, Florida water rates likely to rise
Tampa water customers' rates now are among the lowest in the region. But that's likely to change. With the city under pressure to encourage conservation, meet rising demand, pay for repairs to leaky pipes and give more fresh water to the Hillsborough River, Mayor Pam Iorio wants to increase water charges. Most City Council members, who will need to approve any price bumps, support the idea. Tampa residents who use 8,000 gallons a month, typically pay $12.42. St. Petersburg Times_ 5/29/07
Steep water rate hike brings threat of lawsuit
New water rates in Chandler, Arizona may reward conservation, punish waste
A decision on the new rates likely won't be made until next month, but a consultant's recommendation and a new way to calculate rates based on usage will be discussed by the City Council Monday. Details of that calculation method will not be made public until late Friday. Chandler hasn't raised water and sewer rates since 1994. Earlier discussions by a water and wastewater rate subcommittee urged a new structure that rewards users who conserve water with lower rates while charging more to those who use more. Last September the city paid Red Oak Consulting $143,293 to study rates and make recommendations for change. In January former Chandler Management Services Director Pat Walker, who had overseen all municipal budgets and rates, took a job with Red Oak. A $43 million expansion of the city's water treatment plant is underway and due to be finished by early next year. Arizona Republic_ 5/15/07
San Diego drops water billing system based on estimates
In the end, enough complaints poured in to pressure the City Council to end San Diego's unusual practice of estimating water bills, a 3½-year routine that resulted in frequent overcharges for most homeowners. The return to bimonthly billing based on accurate meter readings, approved unanimously yesterday, won't take effect for a year. But the council asked Mayor Jerry Sanders in the meanwhile to adjust accounts more frequently starting in November. Councilman Kevin Faulconer said that billing monthly while alternating between reading meters and estimating usage was "an experiment that just didn't work." SignOnSanDiego.com_5/1/07
Households in Melbourne, Australia could face A$50 annual rate increase
The new water toll could be added as Melbourne Water scrambles to recoup billions of dollars in costs from desperately needed water infrastructure projects. The new cost could add as much as $50 annually to Melbourne's 1.4 million household water customers. Projects under consideration include a $2.4 billion recycling pipeline to the Latrobe Valley and a desalination plant to cost more than $1 billion. The new levy was revealed in a submission by Melbourne Water to an Essential Services Commission review of water pricing which will set water prices from July 2008 onwards. The utility said that unless the new charges were allowed, "the economic profitability of Melbourne Water is likely to be compromised". The Age_ 4/29/07
Pennsylvania American Water proposed $6 increase in average monthly water bill
The company filed a request with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) to approve changes in the company's rate structure. As part of the filing, Pennsylvania American Water requested an overall rate increase of $59.2 million per year, or 14.73%. If approved in full, a gallon of tap water would still only cost one penny. The last time the company filed for a base rate change was April of 2003. Pennsylvania American Water will have invested over $490 million to replace and upgrade its treatment and distribution facilities, water treatment plants, pipeline replacements and storage facilities. Only a portion of the cost to finance them is covered in the company's current water service charges. Pennsylvania American Water alone owns and operates 37 water and four wastewater treatment plants; more than 100 wells; approximately 225 water distribution towers; and over 9,200 miles of pipeline - ranging from two to 48 inches in diameter. Pennsylvania American Water is the largest regulated water utility in the state providing quality water and/or wastewater services to over two
Union-Tribune analysis: Routine water bill overcharges turn into mounds of money for San Diego city coffers
San Diego's residential water customers routinely receive inaccurate bills because the city mails them monthly but measures water use every two months. Few cities consistently read water meters for one billing cycle and estimate use for the next. The practice has allowed cash-starved San Diego to pile up extra money at regular intervals, led to hundreds of thousands of billing adjustments, and drawn thousands of complaints – six a day, on average – since it began 3½ years ago. An analysis by The San Diego Union-Tribune shows the Water Department has collectively overcharged customers $1.67 million in the 40 months for which data are available. The bulk of the city's 219,000 residential water accounts have been billed incorrectly since San Diego switched from bimonthly to monthly billing in September 2003 after a vote of the City Council. Union-Tribune_ 4/8/07
Washington Township to receive 22% water rate increase
Providence, Rhode Island soaked for water board retirees' insurance
For at least a decade, Providence has paid the health-insurance premiums for retirees of the board that provides water to 60 percent of the state, while customers in the other towns served by the board have never been asked to pay their share. Customers in all 17 communities receiving water from the Providence Water Supply Board were expected to contribute to health coverage through the board, but because of poor record-keeping, Providence, which paid all the costs upfront, never sent the water board a bill. The mistake has cost Providence more than $2 million in the last 10 years and now the city wants that money back. To do it, the board is planning to ask the state Public Utilities Commission for permission to raise rates for customers across its system. Providence customers would get a double hit from a rate hike: their tax money was used to pay the benefits up front, and their water rates would be raised in order to reimburse the city on the back end. Providence Journal_ 3/9/07 (logon required)
Price of water rising around the world
Residents in Canada's British Columbia should pay more for safe drinking water: Health Official
Provincial Health Officer Dr. Perry Kendall said drinking water rates should reflect the true, long-term costs of water treatment, distribution and water system monitoring. His comments came at a press conference where he released his report Progress on the Action Plan for Safe Drinking Water in B.C. An increase in water rates would reflect the costs of developing a system and depend on the size of the system, said Kendall. Some households might invest $150 in a house system. For residents of Victoria and Vancouver, it makes sense to invest in infrastructure and UV filtration and reflect that in water rates, said Kendall. The report also calls for the introduction of legislation requiring the licensing of groundwater extraction and restricting access to groundwater where aquifers are being overused. Times Colonist_ 3/6/07
United Kingdom's Ofwat confirms water bill increases for 2007-08
Environmental groups endorse San Diego water-rate plan
San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders' plan to increase water and sewer rates in San Diego over the next four years to pay for infrastructure upgrades won the endorsement Thursday of three environmental groups. Joining Sanders at a news conference along the downtown San Diego's waterfront to announce their backing of the proposed rate hikes were officials with San Diego Coastkeeper, the San Diego Audubon Society and the San Diego chapter of the Surfrider Foundation. The location was chosen because it is near a storm drain outflow that has been the exit point for sewage spills and pollution coming from broken water mains upstream, according to the mayor's office. The group said the proposed rate hikes are needed to prevent further problems caused by the failure of aging water and sewer systems. "We need to do what we can to protect our environment from pollution by improving the city's infrastructure," Sanders said. "The projects we will fund with the rate increases being proposed for our water and wastewater systems are a critical part of our effort to keep pollution out of this bay and other environmentally sensitive areas."
Sign On San Diego_2/22/07
Detroit council blasts 'disgraceful' water rate hike; action delayed
Arizona water companies seek property tax cuts; opponents fear rate payers will bear the cost
Many of the state's more than 300 private water companies are uniting behind a hotly contested bill that would give them substantial tax cuts.
Connecticut Water Co. to raise rates twice in next 15 months
San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders proposes 35 percent water rate increase over next four years
Sanders and City Attorney Michael Aguirre said at a news conference Monday that rate hikes are the only way the city can pay for improvements to the city's aging pipelines. The city may be liable for fines or sanctions by regulatory agencies if the pipe infrastructure isn't upgraded, both officials said. If the rates are approved, monthly water and sewer bills for the average homeowner would increase by about 35 percent over the next four years. Passing the rate increases would allow the city to borrow funds in the bond market and finance approximately $1.4 billion worth of sewer and water infrastructure improvements through 2011, city officials said. Inspections in 1997 uncovered serious degradation in the system, prompting the California Department of Health Services to issue a compliance order to the city. Under the order, the city must replace water pipes between 2008 and 2011 at an estimated cost of $154 million. The city must also upgrade one treatment plant at a cost of $100 million and install an ozone disinfectant system at another plant, according to a report by Aguirre. The council is set to debate and possibly vote on the rate hikes Feb. 26. AP/San Francisco Examiner_ 1/8/07 Read the full report
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How To Build A Top Team & Operate At Peak Performance
Building a team that makes your shop run smoothly and deliver great customer service is a fast and direct way to boost your profits.
By Jane and Larry McGrath
Like members of a race team, each of your employees has control over what he or she contributes to the group effort. That is why successful executives—in sports and in retailing—use the same principles of leadership and team building to get the best out of their people and resources. They know that to win, they must create a shared sense of purpose and engage employees in attaining it.
Are the essential elements to create a winning team in place in your shop? Does every employee contribute effectively? Is every employee convinced that his or her performance is critical to the success of the business?
Although keeping employees engaged is tough, it is worth the effort: Employees who have high job satisfaction and good morale are more loyal, work harder, interact with customers in a more positive way, and have fewer complaints and lower absenteeism.
Factors that can contribute to job satisfaction and good morale include a feeling of importance to the business, pleasant environment and co-workers, positive incentives and rewards, training and advancement opportunities, and adequate compensation.
Team Building
Nothing causes employee apathy faster than the feeling of being ignored. When an employee thinks no one cares about him or his work, he will do just enough to get by.
To assure employees that they matter and that what they do for eight hours a day means something, improve communication and build a team spirit. It will create a culture of trust and understanding and reduce conflict. It will also lead to improved productivity and efficiency, which improves the bottom line.
Motivational training and team building days can be an effective and fun way to improve communication, help employees get to know the people they work with, and spark a bit of team spirit.
Team building exercises can be adapted for virtually any setting, young or old, large or small, and across cultures. Many activities, such as paintball and race schools, are fun.
Others are designed for specific needs. For example, an activity offered by the training organization Learnpurple is board-breaking in which each team member karate chops a piece of board into two pieces.
According to Jane Sunley, Learnpurple's managing director, "The point is to show the power of the mind and of positive thought and self-belief. This creates a great feeling of motivation and 'I can now do anything.' It can be a very bonding experience for a team to go through this together."
However, it is critical to remember that much of the success of an activity depends on the role played by the facilitator. In the hands of an excellent facilitator, even a very simple game can be a significant experience for participants; with a poor leader, even a well-designed activity can be a waste of time and money.
To maximize the benefits of a team building activity:
Recognition & Rewards
"People remain engaged when they receive recognition and appreciation for a job well done," said Lucille Sanchez-Pearson, an executive career coach and president of Global Resources in Los Angeles, California.
In fact, Bob Nelson, author of the book "1001 Ways to Reward Employees," reports that 63 percent of his survey respondents would like more recognition of their work. The same percentage ranked a "pat on the back" as a meaningful incentive.
Referred to as "psychic income," Sanchez-Pearson said that "meeting the needs of this psychic income may indeed be more effective than meeting the monetary income needs of most individuals from a retention standpoint." They continue to work hard because they feel good doing it and they know it's important.
Rewards are all the positive things you give to recognize good work. They can come from a multitude of sources, but will only motivate people if 1) it is something they want, and 2) they truly believe they can achieve it.
Of course, money is always popular: an extra discount on store merchandise or services, a shopping gift-card, a half-day off with pay, a holiday bonus, dividing a winning purse from the house car.
Company-paid travel to a major race event or the Performance Racing Industry Trade Show can provide the dual benefits of rewarding employees and helping them understand the industry better.
Celebrating small victories is an incredibly effective way to keep people engaged. Something as simple as acknowledging a big order or an important new customer is a great way to congratulate the team and boost spirits.
Celebrations don't need to be expensive or fancy: Roll out a surprise picnic spread one afternoon, or give everyone tickets to the races.
Food can be a great reward. However, the secret to using goodies as a reward is to be random with both the selections and the timing: Krispy Kremes on a weekday morning, a surprise birthday lunch, a tailgate party before you open the trailer for sales one Saturday night. If the food or the event becomes routine, it reduces its impact.
And amazingly, it doesn't always have to be money. For some employees, reading a positive customer or supplier letter at a staff meeting or being featured in the newsletter or website is as rewarding as cash.
Training & Advancement
Experts agree that the quality of employees and their development through training and education are major factors in determining long-term profitability of a small business. This is because competence creates confidence, and confidence is an internal motivator. Competence also reduces stress and lower stress levels mean higher productivity and creativity as well as improved attitudes.
Training—teaching people the right skills for the job—is often done only for new employees. This is a mistake because ongoing training, especially in self-management skills and people skills, is essential.
Self-management skills include goal setting, time management and organization. People skills include listening, questioning, feedback and other communication skills.
Training should also provide a glimpse into what skills and knowledge are needed to move up in responsibility and pay. For example, cross training keeps employees from getting bored and challenges them to grow. In addition, cross-trained employees have a more holistic view of the business, its functions and its people.
Friday's paycheck may not be an employee's only motivator, but there is no doubt that we live in a money-motivated world. However, it's not always how much you give people. Sometimes it's about how much you give them relative to their peers—money as a way of keeping score.
Another key to keeping good employees motivated is the non-salary benefits package you provide such as paid vacation, uniform service or clothing allowance, profit sharing, and participation in a 401k retirement plan.
Unless you can do all the work all the time, you need people to help you. The wrong people can cause you to lose customers and money. The right people, working together as a team, can make your shop operate smoothly and profitably.
While no amount of team building can compensate for a low salary, if the compensation is adequate, good human relations will give that extra zest to a team, motivating them to give their best.
Tips to Achieve Peak Performance
Operating at peak performance is a goal for all teams, whether at the race track or in the race shop. But, sometimes, the team needs a boost to pick up the pace.
Employee performance can improve—from your poorest performer to your top producer—but it takes more than a yearly performance evaluation.
Consider, for example, the impact of "hygiene factors" such as fair pay, reasonable benefits, and safe working conditions. If an employee is ticked because you did a poor job of implementing a benefits change or is angry because of a work schedule considered unfair, an improvement intervention such as a training session on "how to close a sale," won't stand much of a chance.
A relatively simple, but highly effective way of looking at this issue was provided by Dr. Thomas Gilbert, the "father of performance improvement," in the late 1970s. There are other approaches, but his Behavior Engineering Model tool will serve as a good example. It looks at the following six areas: information, resources, incentives, skills and knowledge, capacity, and motivation.
Employees need to know policies, procedures and products. They need frequent reminders about what you want the business to accomplish, some of your plans for doing it, and their role in the plans. For example, do you tell employees to "do a good job," or do you outline the specific behaviors you want accomplished? If you're leaving it up to employees to decide what a "good job" is, don't be surprised if they fail to do what you have in mind. People cannot meet your expectations if they don't know what they are.
To get the best from employees, communicate clear, specific expectations about what they are to produce. And, give regular feedback about how well they meet your expectations.
No matter how skilled an employee, without the tools and materials needed to do the job, the job isn't going to get done. To perform well in your shop an employee must know more about a product than how to pronounce the name on the box or read the dimensions off a chart. He or she must know technical specifications, features, applications, pricing comparisons, and warranty, guarantee and service information, plus the benefits the product offers this customer.
The employee must be able to answer questions like: How does this product compare to product/brand X? Who else is using it and what are the results? What results can I (in my class on this track) expect?
In general, there are two basic types of incentives/rewards you can use to positively reinforce performance-enhancing behaviors.
The first is money. Obviously, pay is an important incentive. This is especially true in a pay-for-performance system where you reward employees on the basis of their contribution to the business' success.
The second basic type is non-financial rewards such as recognition and attention. These incentives/rewards can be very effective. For example, a recent analysis of behavioral management studies over the past 20 years found that social rewards (recognition and attention) had as big an impact on employee performance as did monetary rewards.
With that in mind, you can get the basic information you need about incentives in your shop by answering the question: In the last six months, what has been the incentive for good performance and the consequence for poor performance?
Skills & Knowledge
One of the most effective ways to improve an employee's performance is to help improve his or her skills.
Whether you're working with a new part-time employee or a veteran salesperson, a good place to begin is with the job description. After listing the specific tasks you expect the employee to perform, determine this person's current knowledge and skill level in each area. With this information you can begin to develop a training program that will ensure employees gain the skills and information they need to improve the way they perform their jobs.
Next, decide the best ways to deliver the necessary training. You may, for example, want to require (and possibly pay for) some college coursework along with on-the-job instruction.
And, for employees to maintain peak performance, you need to continuously evaluate their skills and knowledge and provide opportunities for them to update their sales and merchandising skills as well as their product and racing knowledge.
While avoiding stereotyping or inappropriately profiling employees, a certain sensitivity to matching an employee to a job is useful. To help make a good employee-job match, think about what behaviors and skills are important for success. For example, the most effective salespeople have great interpersonal skills. They know how to formulate and ask meaningful questions to get at a customer's real needs and problems. Plus, they are good listeners. They hear, understand and act on the answers the customer gives, rather than their own assumptions.
To a large degree, employees bring their motivation to excel with them. But, there are some techniques you can use to stimulate it. The secret is tailoring the action to the individual.
Some employees are motivated by the promise of a promotion, others by a quarterly bonus, and others simply by having someone recognize their work. In fact, many employees report that a personal, spontaneous, and sincere thank you for a job well done has the most significant impact on their performance.
Another way to spark motivation is to help employees gain control over and feel ownership of what they do. As they begin to feel they are a significant part of the business—valued and involved—their personal productivity will rise.
Unfortunately, today's high tech world pushes retailers to concentrate on updating information systems and acquiring the latest technology, which leaves little time for the company's most important asset—the employees.
Employees who feel neglected become dissatisfied; unhappy employees are not productive. The more retailers respect and value their employees, the greater the chances that the employee and the business will be successful.
The people puzzle in any business is a tough challenge for the owner, or manager. But, there are answers. One of them is to implement strategies to get your best people to perform better as a team.


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News & Events
For the Media
Clarkson University Physical Therapy Student Completes Clinical in Italy
Courtney Trainer reached a milestone both for herself and for Clarkson University's Doctor of Physical Therapy program when she traveled overseas earlier this year.
Trainer was the first student in the program's history to complete a clinical rotation overseas. She worked with a population of patients with neurological disorders in the Istituto Prosperius hospital in Umbertide, Umbria, Italy, from July through September.
The experience was transformational for Trainer, who grew up in nearby Chateaugay, N.Y., and received her bachelor of science in psychology and pre-physical therapy from Clarkson in 2011. She is set to complete her DPT degree in May 2014.
Trainer had little knowledge of Italian before she left last summer. She gradually immersed herself in the language through the friendly, welcoming atmosphere she experienced in Umbria. By the end of her rotation, she was speaking Italian when tending to patients in the hospital.
Trainer said the experience changed her life and prepared her for a variety of situations back home.
"Now I feel I can go into any clinic in the U.S. where someone is speaking a different language," Trainer said. "In any situation I'm in, I know how to effectively communicate with somebody. You have to be able to laugh at yourself and have humility."
Trainer's work ethic, strong interpersonal skills and openness to new experiences made her an ideal candidate for an international clinical, according to Clinical Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy Vicki LaFay, director of clinical education in Clarkson's DPT program. The program may consider other students with similar attributes for overseas opportunities in the future, she said.
The experience also allowed Trainer to gain a global perspective and immerse herself in Italian culture, LaFay said.
"Courtney really wanted to challenge herself and put herself out there," LaFay said. "She is always at the forefront of wanting to do more and doing it with a smile."
[A photograph for media use is available at http://clarkson.edu/news/photos/dptclinical.jpg]
Photo caption: Courtney Trainer is the first student in Clarkson's Doctor of Physical Therapy program to complete a clinical rotation overseas. She is pictured with Michele, one of her patients at the Istituto Prosperius hospital in Umbertide, Umbria Italy.
Clarkson University launches leaders into the global economy. One in five alumni already leads as a CEO, VP or equivalent senior executive of a company. Located just outside the Adirondack Park in Potsdam, N.Y., Clarkson is a nationally recognized research university for undergraduates with select graduate programs in signature areas of academic excellence directed toward the world's pressing issues. Through 50 rigorous programs of study in engineering, business, arts, sciences and health sciences, the entire learning-living community spans boundaries across disciplines, nations and cultures to build powers of observation, challenge the status quo, and connect discovery and engineering innovation with enterprise.


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QOM, Iran — For most of its 34-year-old history, the Islamic Republic of Iran has been run by clerics serving not just as supreme leaders but also as elected presidents, their turban-clad figures becoming familiar worldwide as Iran's public face.
But the theocratic order, whose base is this dusty city about 90 miles south of Tehran, has become increasingly divided, and the presidential election scheduled for Friday is revealing a dilution of its influence.
In past elections, powerful clerical associations, some established before the 1979 Islamic revolution, guided clergymen and laypeople in whom to vote for, offering clear endorsements of preferred candidates. More recently, politicians continue to actively court clerical support, but it is unclear how much it helps them at the ballot box.
This year, divisions within some clerical groups — including the powerful Association of Combatant Clerics — delayed their endorsements. Some conservative candidates who would otherwise have counted on clerical blessings entered the presidential race without that backing, while one candidate who won a high-level clerical embrace backed out of the contest when a rival began to win broader favor from other groups.
With a population of 1.2 million, including about 50,000 clerics, Qom is Iran's second-holiest city and an important pilgrimage site that rivals the Iraqi city of Najaf as Shiite Islam's top center of religious scholarship.
A visit to the Feyzieh seminary, which served as the spiritual and political heart of the 1979 revolution, found students more concerned about their final exams than about the election.
"I will vote because it's my religious duty, but I have not decided on which candidate I will support," said Jasem Tahami, a 23-year-old student, who was rushing to get to a test on time clad in his turban and robe, the traditional attire of Shiite clerics.
The reign of clerics in Iran's presidency lasted 24 years, beginning with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who served two four-year terms beginning in 1981, and continuing with Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who served from 1989 to 1997, and Mohammad Khatami, who served from 1997 to 2005. But while most clergymen backed Rafsanjani in the 2005 presidential race, a split between the clerics and the popular vote emerged, leading to a runoff victory for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a former mayor of Tehran not eligible for either the black or white turban worn by his three predecessors.
Khamenei succeeded Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989 to become Iran's supreme leader, a status bestowed by fellow religious scholars that carries broad authority extending far beyond that of the president. But many top clerics have tried to stay out of the political fray, and the clergy's role in Iranian society has evolved to the extent that clerics hold a wide range of jobs — particularly in the fields of education, law and trade — that have little do with their religious training.
Today, many of the clerics who have long wielded the most power in Iran are aging, and experts say clerics in general hold less sway among the young and fast-
growing Iranian population than at any time since the revolution.
This year, some of the most powerful clerical associations eventually endorsed the candidacy of Ali Akbar Velayati, a former foreign minister and Johns Hopkins-trained pediatrician who has long been a foreign policy adviser to Khamenei and is widely seen as the leader's preferred candidate.
But that backing from clerics has yet to translate into demonstrable public support for Velayati in Qom, where his campaign headquarters Monday was manned by only two teenagers, one of them too young to vote. And with the loyalty of voters and many clergymen split among three conservative candidates, there are few signs that clerical backing will be as decisive as in the past.
Late last month, Ayatollah Mohammad-Taghi Mesbah-Yazdi, a cleric who leads the influential hard-line Islamic Revolution Stability Front, convened a news conference to endorse the candidacy of Kamran Bagheri Lankarani, a former health minister.
"I hereby testify that on this ground and under this sky I don't know anyone as fit to be president as Lankarani," Mesbah-Yazdi said. "Some of these candidates I know well and respect, but they are not suitable for the presidency."
Several days later, however, Lankarani exited the race even before a vetting group known as the Guardian Council issued its final list of eligible candidates. There were reports that Lankarani had pulled out because other influential clerical groups had begun to line up behind a rival, Saeed Jalili, Iran's top nuclear negotiator.
Among politicians, the clerics who continue to enjoy considerable support do so more because of their political accomplishments than their religious ones.
This is certainly true of Khatami and Rafsanjani, as well as of Hassan Rouhani, whom the two former presidents back in Friday's election. Rouhani is the only cleric in the race, but he was Iran's nuclear negotiator under Khatami.
Khatami, especially, enjoys a celebrity-like status in Iran, drawing large crowds wherever he goes.
"I really like Khatami, and when I think about him, his turban is not the thing that comes to mind; it's what he accomplished in office that matters to me," said Zahra Mokhtari, a 29-year-old graduate student.


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CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - South Africa will host India for tests in Johannesburg and Durban in December but there will be no lucrative New Year match in Cape Town, Cricket South Africa confirmed on Wednesday.
The lack of a Newlands test means the famous venue misses out an early January match for just the sixth time in 22 years, depriving South Africa of a contest at what is traditionally the most well-supported event of the international season.
The Indian schedule is a much-curtailed itinerary to the three test, seven one-day international and two Twenty20 match tour originally proposed in July.
The tour has fallen victim to a dispute between the boards of the two countries with South Africa forced to remove chief executive Haroon Lorgat from having any dealings with the BCCI before the visit could go ahead.
India will now arrive in South Africa on December 2 and open with a three-match one-day international series in Johannesburg (December 5), Durban (December 8) and Pretoria (December 11).
The Indians will then play a two-day warm-up match against a South African Invitational XI starting on December 14.
The first test match will be in Johannesburg from December 18-22, before they return to Durban for the second game from December 26-30.
As things stand, South Africa will have no more international cricket in their home summer until the arrival of Australia for a three-match test series starting in mid-February.
Cricket South Africa president Chris Nenzani said they were trying to find another opponent at short notice.
"I would like to assure all our stakeholders that we are working on plans to fill the gaps in our international itinerary for the 2013-14 season," he said in a CSA statement.
Reporting by Nick Said; Editing by John O'Brien


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Burbank Youth's Oil Painting Chosen for Duck Stamp
SIOUX FALLS - An oil painting created by a 6-year-old South Dakota youth has been selected to appear on the 2013-2014 Federal Junior Duck Stamp.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that a panel of judges selected the oil painting created by Madison Grimm, of Burbank, for the stamp.
Proceeds from sales of the $5 Junior Duck Stamp support environmental education.
Seventeen-year-old Peter Coulter, of Washington, Mo., won second place with an acrylic painting depicting a pair of snow geese.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Making the perfect salad
June 16, 2014
By: Katie Abbott, MS, RDN, HC, Sentara Comprehensive Weight Loss Solutions
Ah, the art of salad making - once you've mastered it, endless combinations of delicious and healthy meals await.
Salads are loaded with fiber and protein, which helps you feel satisfied. You can create the perfect salad in a few quick steps. Make salad a staple in your lifestyle by reviewing these simple steps and stocking up on the right ingredients.
Follow these five steps and your salad is sure to be nutritious and delicious:
- Pick a green base. Choose dark green leafy vegetables like arugula, spinach, kale, or romaine because the darker the leaf, the more nutrients it will contain.
- Choose your veggies. Be sure to include all the colors of the rainbow in order to get a variety of vitamins, antioxidants and minerals.
- Pack on the protein. Protein sources like chicken, turkey, low fat cheese or beans will make your salad heartier and it will help you feel satisfied for longer.
- Add healthy extras. Toppings such as nuts, seeds, quinoa, fresh herbs or berries add a lot of flavor and texture. It also enhances the nutritional value.
- Dress it up. Plant-based oil dressings, such as olive oil vinaigrettes, are healthier alternatives to creamy dressings.


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AutomationDirect's All Stainless Steel F-Series Pneumatic Air Cylinders
AutomationDirect's F-Series stainless steel air cylinders have a 250 psi operating pressure and are constructed with corrosion resistant 300 series stainless steel and Teflon-based rod and pivot bushings. The Urethane rod wiper keeps wash down solutions out of the cylinder. The series includes bore sizes from ¾-inch to two inches and stroke lengths from ½-in. to 18 in. Models feature nose, rear pivot and double-end mounting options and are also available with magnetic piston for position indication.


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To the Editor:
I share Bob Gordon's sincere support of extra-curricular activities, and as the Iowa Department of Education's ex-officio representative to our state's two high school athletic associations, I congratulate the squads from Spirit Lake and Estherville on their recent trip to the Girls State Basketball Tournament.
However, I take issue with Mr. Gordon's inaccurate suggestion that the Department applies waivers to state education rules inconsistently ("Iowa Dept. of Ed pays both sides of waiver issue," April 30).
The Department doesn't make the law, but we must enforce it. In this case, there is no waiver from the state requirement of 5.5 hours in a school day, so we have no authority to grant the type of request cited in Mr. Gordon's letter (however, our Department whole-heartedly supports legislation that would give school districts more control over their own schedules by changing the minimum instructional time required in a school year from 180 days to 1,080 hours).
Conversely, there is a waiver option for school districts to start classes earlier than the week of September 1, and the law says the Department must grant that waiver if the district claims that starting on time would have "significant negative impact" on education. Since the law doesn't define "significant negative impact," and a decision to deny that waiver likely wouldn't hold up in court, this agency has a long history of granting virtually every school start date waiver. Last summer, a bipartisan statewide task force recommended that the Iowa Legislature clarify that portion of the law. This would not be an issue if the Legislature did just that.
The bottom line is that the Department believes scheduling decisions are best left to local school districts, and we hope that Iowa lawmakers will take the steps necessary to make that happen. Until then, we must comply with the law.
Mike Cormack, Policy Liaison
Iowa Department of Education
Des Moines, IA


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From a simple poll to in-depth market research, we give you tools to create awesome surveys, but we also give you lots of ways to get responses and analyze your results to make informed, data-driven decisions.
Google Forms also lets you create surveys and get answers. Here's a closer look at SurveyMonkey and Google Forms to see which one's a better fit for you:
SurveyMonkey: You can choose from 15 different question types, including multiple choice, text box, Net Promoter® Score, and A/B comparisons. Don't know which questions to ask? Save time and create more effective surveys by choosing from over 1,600 questions written by our survey experts.
Google Forms: Choose from nine different question types, including text and multiple choice. There are user-created Google form templates available from different sources, but they aren't expert-designed and certified.
SurveyMonkey: Have an urgent question or issue? We offer 24/7 email support for all customers. For instant answers, our Help Center houses a comprehensive collection of articles and videos that explain how to use every SurveyMonkey feature. We also offer tips and guidance for creating effective surveys in Surveys 101.
Google Forms: Although there isn't a help center dedicated to strictly Google Forms, there is a basic Docs Editors Help Center that has information on creating and working with forms.
SurveyMonkey: You can send out your survey lots of different ways. Get a web link to cut and paste it into emails, social media posts or your website. Use our email collector to track who responds. Or add embedded or pop up collectors to any website. By upgrading, you can host surveys on research.net, our white label domain. Give us your criteria and SurveyMonkey Audience can even find the right people to take your survey.
Google Forms: You can share the link to your form anywhere on the web or email it out directly from Google Forms, but you can't track who responds or include any additional data. You can also use html to embed your form into a website.
SurveyMonkey: Get responses in real time, slice and dice your data to find insights, and share your results with others for additional feedback. You can convert your data into custom charts and reports to show off your results.
Google Forms: Your survey data is available in simple bar graphs, pie charts, and text displays. Users can't filter results, but data is automatically exported into a Google Spreadsheet.
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Cyber order restarts quarrel on Hill
President Barack Obama may have forced Capitol Hill's hand with an executive order on cybersecurity — but it doesn't mean lawmakers are finished fighting over the country's digital defenses.
As Obama suggested in his State of the Union address Tuesday, the order still requires Congress to deliver a law that solidifies federal authorities and incentivizes businesses. That's galvanized lawmakers, but it's also exposed the very disagreements that prompted the White House to act in the first place.
Story Continued Below
The remnants of last year's blistering fight became apparent Wednesday, as Reps. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) and Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md.) revived a cybersecurity bill that the White House once threatened to veto.
As they did, Senate Democrats and Republicans resumed quarreling over the need for government to set any new security standards for power plants, water systems and other forms of critical infrastructure — the very battle that scuttled the chamber's efforts in 2012.
Both camps of lawmakers, though, expressed some hope this week they can soon notch the sort of win on cybersecurity that's eluded them for years.
"The president challenged the Congress to demonstrate that we can work in a bipartisan fashion to find a solution to cybersecurity that will actually engage … the public and private sectors," Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) told POLITICO. He said he has "real hope we will make progress on it this year."
The president's new executive order tacks closely to the bill that faltered twice in the Senate in 2012. It advocates for the nation's critical infrastructure to adopt voluntary security standards while urging agencies to determine whether those best practices should be mandatory. It also facilitates information sharing between the government and businesses.
The order, however, is largely incomplete: Only Congress can set forward the sort of federal authorities that might make the plan work smoothly and fully.
For example, lawmakers hold the key — incentives for businesses — that might bring industry to the table in supporting voluntary standards. And only Capitol Hill can create a full-fledged information-sharing system, one that grants businesses liability protections while helping industries easily share data with the government.
The order also couldn't touch on the mammoth issue of federal information security, and the administration alone couldn't grant the sort of expanded hiring authorities and new research spending that lawmakers and agencies seek.
Those omissions set the stage for a new debate, one the president highlighted in his speech as he called on members of Congress to cease their bickering. Still, the fight could again prove arduous if lawmakers' statements this week are any indication of what is to come.
On one hand, congressional supporters of robust cybersecurity reform saw significant benefit in the president's announcement. Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), the new leader of the chamber's Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, told POLITICO the action is justified after the White House "waited for all of last year to see if we could get our act together … and we were unable to do that."


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The owner of Jim's Pawn was accused of being a central figure in an organized crime ring responsible for thefts of meat, televisions, bicycles, and gift cards from stores throughout the county.
The owner of a Sarasota pawn shop will lose his business license after his March arrest in a stolen merchandise investigation by the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office.
Jim Smith, owner of Jim's Pawn, 6526 S. Tamiami Trail, was accused of being a central figure in an organized crime ring responsible for thefts of meat, televisions, bicycles, and gift cards from stores throughout the county.
In a letter today from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, which regulates pawn shops, Smith was informed of the license revocation and accused of providing cash to known drug users in exchange for sexual favors.
Sheriff's office investigators said Smith knowingly bought stolen property through his pawn shop and directed crime ring members to bring products to him by giving them itemized lists. The Department of Agriculture letter also said Smith had admitted to encouraging people to buy meat with food stamps so that he could buy it at a fraction of the retail price.
Among the evidence seized during Smith's arrest were 10 packages of pork chops from a Publix grocery store that were found in his car.
Another man arrested with Smith during that investigation, an ex-con recently released from a Florida prison, was accused of masterminding the thefts and directing his 63-year-old mother in stealing a television from a North Port Walmart.
According to the terms of settlement offered by the Department of Agriculture, Smith can no longer conduct new transactions at his store or operate as a pawnbroker elsewhere. He must contact customers to give them the opportunity to either pick up their items or advise him if they relinquish ownership.
Smith will not be eligible to be licensed again for five years. He has been charged in Sarasota County with two felony counts of organized dealing in stolen property and one misdemeanor pawnbroking violation.
If convicted on the felony county, he could face up three years in prison and would not be eligible for a state license for 10 years.
In a press release, Sheriff Tom Knight said the style of investigation used in the case should be successful elsewhere.
"This collaborative effort between our two agencies is designed to address root causes of crime," said Sheriff Tom Knight. "Because of our I2A philosophy of using intelligence to prevent and disrupt crime, we expect that targeting things like a lucrative market for stolen property will correlate into a reduction in crime numbers."
The other five people arrested in the case are awaiting trial on charges of dealing in stolen property and theft.
Customers of Jim's Pawn who need to contact Smith can do so by calling 941-923-7171. Smith has 21 days to request an administrative hearing with the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to dispute the revocation.