Shadyside Village Attorney Thomas Ryncarz comments on legal matters Wednesday.

SHADYSIDE — Residents will see an increase in their water and sewer bills now and again in the summer as the village seeks to attract grant funding.

On Wednesday, Shadyside Village Council voted to raise water and sewer rates. Water rates increased by $3.38 per month for 2,000 gallons, and sewer rates by $5.83 per month for 2,000 gallons, effective immediately. That brings combined current monthly rates from $35.92 to $45.13. Rates will increase again July 1 by the same amounts for a total bill of $54.34 per month.

Council President Brandon Parr said the action was necessary.

“This isn’t something that I don’t think any of us want to do, but necessity matters. With this raise, we are still the lowest … water and sewer between Powhatan (Point), Brilliant, Bridgeport and Martins Ferry,” he said. “After the second increase, we’ll be basically a tenth of a penny above Powhatan.”

Councilman Robert “Bushwacker” Gorrell agreed.

“If we don’t increase, we won’t be eligible for grants,” he said.

Council President Brandon Parr elaborated after the meeting.

“Right now, our rates are so low we’re not eligible for any grants or any funding. What this raise will do is allow us to be eligible for (Ohio Water Development) and (Ohio Environmental Protection Agency) funding that we just aren’t currently eligible for.

“The rule of thumb is they’d like sewer rates to be 1.5% median house income, and then 1.1% for water, and we’re not there right now,” Parr said. “Putting this raise in will get us to where we’re eligible for some of this funding that we certainly need.”

Parr added that the median household income for Shadyside is $52,264.

He said the rates have not been raised for several years. He does not expect further rate increases in the coming years.

“But that could change. We try not to raise rates just for the burden it puts on residents. That’s why we’re splitting this raise into two separate increments to try to alleviate some of that burden it’s going to cause on some of the citizens,” Parr noted. “It’s a necessity for the village right now just to maintain and improve some of our existing equipment and infrastructure, so we don’t really have much of a choice.

“Right now we’re looking at some funding for our north reservoir. We’re applying for some grants there now,” he continued. “There’s multiple grants we can apply for, once we’re able to get our rates where they need to be.”

Council also entered a brief closed-door session to discuss personnel, followed by a closed-door session of about an hour to discuss possible purchase or sale of public property. Council went into another private session for about a half hour to discuss personnel.

As a result of the property session, council agreed to participate in the Utica Land Group, a collective of landowners who negotiate to secure the best available mineral rights leases.

In a related matter, an oil and gas meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday at St. Mary Church at 350 E. 40th St. to hear from attorney Ed Sustersic from the Utica Group.

“It seems like the more people you get together, you might get a better rate,” Mayor Bob Newhart said.