Enterprise council tabled a sewer-fee cut in May, then voted 4-1 on a $42 sewer rate in June

Enterprise City Council members discussed lowering the city's sewer user fee at their May 27, 2026 meeting "because the last sewer bond payment was about to be paid," according to the minutes. They tabled the proposal so the city administrator could check whether the cut was affordable. ^[1]

The proposal, Resolution 2026-008, was titled "Reduction of Waste Water (Sewer) User Fee." Council member Delbert Staheli proposed lowering the rate by $10 a month, according to the minutes. ^[1]

The council asked City Administrator Adam Bowler "to look at the budget to make sure that amount is feasible, before making a decision," the minutes say. Council member Kanton Vause moved to table the resolution, Staheli seconded, and the motion passed unanimously. ^[1]

Who was present

Mayor Brandon Humphries and council members Staheli, Justin Seegmiller and Vause attended the May 27 meeting. Council members Bill Fowler and Roy Adams were absent, according to the minutes. ^[1]

What the sewer budget shows

A fiscal 2026 sewer fund worksheet in the packet prepared for the June 10 meeting lists sewer services revenue of $375,000 in the original budget and $425,000 in the revised budget. It also lists $80,000 for other capital outlay. ^[1]

The fiscal 2027 budget report the city filed with the state lists $455,000 in sewer operating income: $425,000 from sewer services and $30,000 from commercial sewer services. It lists $329,000 in operating expense, including $85,000 of depreciation, and no debt-service line. ^[2]

The water fund's fiscal 2027 budget, by contrast, includes $90,000 in debt-service principal and $15,000 in interest. ^[2]

A tabled rebate

At the same meeting, the council considered Resolution 2026-007, an appliance rebate program requested for new homes in a planned all-electric subdivision. Staheli calculated that with the 60 houses planned for the subdivision, "it could cost the city as much as $120,000.00 for those rebates," according to the minutes. ^[1]

Seegmiller moved to table that resolution, Vause seconded, and the motion passed unanimously. ^[1]

The June 10 agenda

Both resolutions were listed for action on the council's June 10, 2026 agenda, along with the amended fiscal 2026 budget and the final fiscal 2027 budget. ^[1]

What happened June 10

The June 10 minutes show all five council members present: Roy Adams, Delbert Staheli, Bill Fowler, Justin Seegmiller and Kanton Vause. On Resolution 2026-008, the sewer rate amendment, the City Administrator gave an overview of how the sewer rate is set and said it can affect the city's ability to bond for state money at low interest. The minutes say the council discussed at length whether the rate should be lowered to $42.00 or $38.00. ^[3]

Fowler moved to approve and adopt the resolution with a new sewer rate of $42.00, and Seegmiller seconded. The minutes say it was approved by a majority on a voice vote, four in favor and one against, and they do not name who voted no. The $38 figure was discussed, not adopted. The motion's wording as recorded ends with "and," and the minutes state no further terms. ^[3]

The minutes do not call the new rate a $10 cut, give an effective date or attach the adopted schedule, and the Ledger has not seen the city's current rate table. Whether the vote lowered customers' bills therefore remains unconfirmed. Resolution 2026-007, the appliance rebate amendment, was tabled again on a Fowler motion and Seegmiller second, by voice vote with no tally recorded. ^[3]

The June 10 minutes end with the recorder's submission line and no approval date. The Aug. 12 council agenda lists June 10 minutes for approval and the Oct. 14 agenda lists Aug. 12 minutes, but neither notice has a minutes attachment, and an agenda item is not evidence that the council approved them. ^[4][5]