As Portage residents get accustomed to a big jump in their sewer bills, the City Council is preparing to make sure developers pay more for their impact on the sewage treatment infrastructure.

A resident showed up at Tuesday’s City Council meeting to ask why his utility bill is so high now. That’s because the city approved a $32 million bond issue to make major improvements in the city’s sewer infrastructure.

“I can assure you I didn’t want to be the mayor to raise it significantly,” Mayor Austin Bonta said.

The city assesses residents a monthly fee for certain city services. Bonta broke it down for him. The bill includes $20.25 for trash collection, $13.75 for stormwater and $53 for sewers.

“That was a significant increase, to go from $35.75 to $53,” Bonta acknowledged, but it had to be done to pay for major upgrades.

“The city of Portage had both a blessing and a curse when it comes to our sewer system,” he said. It was built for the city all at once, so the system starts breaking down all at the same time.

Along with his predecessor, Sue Lynch, Bonta focused on shoring up underground infrastructure and the treatment plant so it could continue operating well.

The work includes relining sewer pipes, major improvements at the treatment plant, repairing and replacing old lift stations and installing a northside interceptor to handle wastewater from the city’s north side.

State law requires the city to have a real working system that can be paid for, Bonta said. If the city can’t do that, it could be forced to sell to a private operator.

At $53 per month, the bill is well below the state average of around $70, he said. South Haven residents pay $71 a month, he added.

In the future, Portage will continue to raise sewer bills as needed, but the increase won’t be as dramatic because the city won’t wait as long as last time, he said.

Treatment plant Superintendent Tracie Marshall reported to the council that most of the clarifier project is done, replacing concrete settling ponds that were well beyond their life expectancy.

An ultraviolet light treatment process will be updated soon, with the State Revolving Fund closing on a loan for that equipment recently as well as the northside interceptor and lift stations.

With recent rains, the plant has been handling about 5 million gallons a day, near the 5.3 million gallon capacity.

“There’s always something interesting happening at the plant,” she said.

At Tuesday’s meeting, the council introduced an ordinance to set rates and charges for developers.

Meters would be priced according to capacity, with increases in two phases. The smallest would initially be $1,700, increasing to $3,000 in phase two, and the largest at $39,100, rising to $69,000.

Tap-on fees would be set at $1,000 with residential inspection fees at $100.

Stormwater permit fees would be set at $150 for a home on under an acre and $250 for more than an acre. A single-family subdivision and a multifamily development would each be $250 plus $20 an acre.

Commercial buildings, including hotels and warehouses, would be $250 plus $20 an acre. Building additions would be $150. Institutional, educational and religious projects would get a bit of a break, at $150 plus $20 an acre.

Engineering review fees would cover the full cost of any outsourced engineer, the same as for an inspection that requires outsourcing. Inspections by Portage employees would be $200.

The ordinance is expected to be up for consideration in May.

Doug Ross is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.