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Objections Few At Hearing On MUA Hike

SWAINTON - Only two officials addressed the proposed rate hike scheduled for wastewater treatment during a public hearing held here by the Cape May County Municipal Utilities Authority recently. Cape May City Manager Fred Coldren said he had notified his municipality's 3.500 rate payers of the upcoming hearing in their most recent billings, but none showed up. The proposed overall hike for 1986 represents a 6.8 percent increase over* this year's rates, according to William Cathcart, chief of operations and maintenance, who conducted the hearing. "THE NEARLY $230,000 increase in the operating budget from 1985 to 1986.'' Cathcart said, "is attributed in large part to increased chemical costs, which represent $176,000. and increased power costs, which represent $38,000. "Most of the increase." he added, "is attributed to the odor control equipment. which was placed into operation during 1985. and the anticipated chemical addition project at the Ocean City wastewater treatment facility." IN OCEAN CITY, the charge to New JerseyWater Co.. which oversees the billing for the cost of the MUA wastewater treatment facilities in that region, went from $2,460,599 for 1985 to $2,622,432 for 1986. for a total proposed increase of 6.6 percent. The increase for the Ocean City Region from 1984 to 1985 was only fourtenths of 1 percent, while the total increase from the time the rates went into effect in 1982 to 1985 was only 1.25 percent. THE PROPOSED increase for rates in Cape May City, according- to. Cathcart. is 9.9 percen^P from $723,098 to $794,606. while the schedule calls for a decrease in West Cape May. from $93,637 in 1985 to

$86,660, a drop of 7.b percent. In Cape May Point, he said, the hike is from $42,663 in 1985 to $43,322 in 1986, which represents 1.5 percent. Cape May City, Cape May Point and West Cape May are all part of the Cape May Region of the MUA's regional wastewater treatment system. "WE MADE AN effort to hold the hearing earlier this year, as per previous requests." Cathcart said, noting that the Nov. 19th date was almost a month earlier than last year's rate meeting. He said that the regional rate-setting policy of the authority is based on "the cost of operations all going into one pot with individual rates based on a municipality's annual flow in relation to those costs." The user rates for 1986, Cathcart said, are for the users only in the Ocean City and Cape May regions. T h.€ Seven Mile Beach /Middle Region wastewater treatment plant is expected to come on line in the late spring of 1987andthe Wildwood/Lower Region plant is expected to be on line in the spring of 1988. COLDREN. IN his statement. said he is pleased that the odor control measures at the Cape MayRegion plant have been effective. "Members of our City Council and neighbors (of the plant ) have commented favorably in recent days," Coldren said. "Thank you for installing these (odor control) devices." He asked the authority to attempt next year to push the rate hearings up even further to mid-October "I must commend the MUA for the efforts of its staff and the commisl sioners on behalf of the enm vironment." Coldren added. "It has been a burden on the ratepayers, but a necessary one." ROBERT CALLOW.

assistant treasurer for the New Jersey Water Co., said his firm mainly is concerned with the authority's rate stabilization account, since his firm must receive per mission from the state Board of Public Utilities in order to pass on rate increases. The authority, through investment of interest income. is attempting to put $7.5 million into a rate stabilization account by the time the treatment plants for the next two regions are on line MUA Executive Director George Marinakis said he expects the commission to act on the new rate schedule at its meeting of Dec. 18, which is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. I More Cars, Passengers On Ferry CAPE MAY - During October, 1985, traffic on the Cape May-Lewes Ferry increased by 1,664 vehicles and 4.982 passengers from October. 1984. Ferry traffic for this October was 22,142 vehicles and 60,091 passengers compared to 20,478 vehicles and 55,109 passengers for October. 1984. an increase of 8.1 percent for vehicles and 9.0 percent for passengers * These statistics were announced by David S. Chapman. general manager of the Cape May-Lewes Ferry.

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