The Tipton Utility Service Board on Nov. 3 approved routine minutes and claims, heard a monthly financial update that included a rise in insurance premiums tied to recent infrastructure additions, and set a public presentation for a Kron & Associates water and wastewater rate study.

Jim, a staff member, told the board the utility’s insurance premium rose after the city added a water tower and lift stations, saying the premium "overall went up $30 for the year" because of those added structures. He described the board's monthly report as detailed and said the city tracks finances using Keystone software, with both accrual and cash accounting reconciled each month.

The board approved claims totaling $327,269.96 by voice vote; a motion to approve the minutes from the previous meeting also passed by voice vote.

The meeting included discussion of the utility’s broader fiscal outlook. Jim said the water and wastewater funds are "holding their own" but not gaining ground and warned that wastewater will need "several million dollars" of capital investment over the next five years. He urged smaller, incremental rate adjustments rather than infrequent large increases to avoid sudden spikes for customers.

On system safety, Jim reported a recent monthly safety meeting about meter procedures and described a suspected meter theft: "we had 1 disappear and it showed up on our software," he said, and staff are investigating instances of power appearing intermittently at the affected address overnight.

Kron & Associates is reviewing city water and wastewater rates and will make a presentation to the utility board and the public on Nov. 17; Jim said the presentation will be brief and open to anyone who wants to attend.

Staff also reported receiving a notice from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency concerning lead service-line reporting. Jim said the city included a handful of customers "out west" in its initial report but that the EPA required a separate filing for that service area. "They said, 'no. You need to submit a separate report,'" he said. The city mailed notices to affected customers and posted information in city hall.

Other operational updates included near-completion of a backwash pump installation at the Westwater treatment plant, which staff expect to commission in the coming weeks, and ongoing review of an interlocal agreement with the county that the city’s attorney has submitted for county review.

The board noted regional comparisons of electric rates through the Indiana Municipal Power Agency (IMPA); Jim said IMPA anticipates an average increase of about 2.7 percent and will revisit rates midyear.

The utility’s next meeting will include the Kron presentation on Nov. 17; the regular board meeting was scheduled for two weeks at 4:30 p.m. The board adjourned by voice vote.

Votes at a glance

• Approval of Oct. minutes — motion and second on the record; outcome: approved by voice vote (tally not specified in transcript).

• Claims approval — motion to pay claims in the amount of $327,269.96; outcome: approved by voice vote (tally not specified in transcript).

• Motion to adjourn — motion and second; outcome: approved by voice vote.