Politics
Stanley City Council Approves Utility Fee Ordinance to Fund Pipe Replacements
The July 7 vote directs new revenue from Stanley water accounts toward replacements in the riverfront and north end districts while leaving recreation budgets unchanged.
How we reported this
The Stanley City Council passed Ordinance 2026-14 on a 5-2 vote during its July 7 regular meeting, raising the base water service charge by 8 percent for all metered accounts beginning with September billing cycles. The measure channels the added collections into a dedicated capital account for pipe replacements along the Stanley River corridor and in the north end neighborhood. Households outside those two zones receive no immediate infrastructure work under the ordinance.
Background on the funding shift
City staff presented the ordinance after the public works department documented 47 main breaks in the past fiscal year, with 31 occurring inside the riverfront and north end zones. The council's budget document released in May listed those zones as priority areas because their cast-iron mains date to the 1950s. The ordinance does not alter the separate parks and recreation allocation, which remains at the level set in the 2025-2026 operating budget.
Residents in the affected zones will see the largest share of construction activity over the next three years. Crews are scheduled to begin work on the first 1.8-mile segment near the Stanley River bridge in October 2026. Households in the south end and west hills districts will pay the higher rate but will not receive pipe work under the current capital plan. Local advocates note that the fee applies uniformly regardless of property value or household income.
Budget allocation and expected timeline
The ordinance projects $2.8 million in new annual revenue based on current account numbers reported in the May budget document. Of that amount, $2.1 million is earmarked for pipe replacement contracts, with the balance covering engineering and permitting. The government says the policy will complete replacements in the two priority zones by the end of 2029. Subsequent council action would be required to extend the program to other neighborhoods.
The next step is certification of the ordinance by the city clerk, expected within 10 business days. Billing system updates will begin in August so that the new rate appears on September statements. Residents can review the full capital schedule on the city's public works webpage once the clerk files the final document.