92-0408 RESOLUTION
ESTABLISHING CHARGES FOR RODDING HOUSE SEWER LATERALS
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ELGIN,
ILLINOIS, that the fee for the rodding of house sewer laterals
shall be $75 . 00 per hour, effective May 1, 1992 .
s/ George VanDeVoorde
George VanDeVoorde, Mayor
Presented: April 8, 1992
Adopted: April 8, 1992
Omnibus Vote: Yeas 7 Nays 0
Recorded:
Attest:
s/ Dolonna Mecum
Dolonna Mecum, City Clerk
Elm
Agenda Item No .
March 11 , 1992
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and Members of the City Council
FROM: City Manager
SUBJECT: Sewer Rodding Analysis 1989 Through 1991
PURPOSE: The intent of this memorandum is to provide an
em. analysis of the city sewer rodding service and related costs in
order to arrive at an appropriate 1992 service charge.
BACKGROUND: The City of Elgin has provided residents with
sewer rodding services for many years. Calls regarding sewer
problems are directed to the two-man Sewer Division crew during
normal working hours. Calls on weekends or at night are
directed to the Police Department Communications Center
where they are relayed to the standby person in Public Works.
Public Works Sewer Division personnel respond to calls
during normal working hours to determine what the problems
are. The crew first checks the main sanitary sewer in the
street to determine if the blockage is the responsibility of
the City. The Sewer Jet truck with a second person is used to
open such blockages.
Should the problem be in the lateral from the house
to the street, the crew will rod or cut out the sewer
lateral which serves that house. The City presently charges
the property owner for this service, with a two week guarantee
period, per the Sewer Rodding Policy which was approved by City
Council action on January 27, 1986 .
Other problems occur which do not involve the main sewer
011. or the house lateral. These miscellaneous calls can involve
a number of internal plumbing problems with sinks, traps,
toilets, floor drains, or laundry tubs . City crews usually
isolate the problem and inform the homeowner they must contact
a plumber to rectify the problem when it is an internal
plumbing situation.
MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
March 11, 1992
Page 2
During the past three years we have averaged 945 calls per
year for sewer-related problems . Only nineteen percent of the
calls involved our main sewers . Fifty-three percent of all the
calls resulted in charges for house lateral sewer rodding
services . Twenty-eight percent of all the calls involved
internal plumbing problems. The following is a breakdown of
all sewer service requests (regular hours and overtime) for the
last three years :
1989 1990 1991 3 Year Avg.
Type of Call # % # % # %
City Main Sewer 147 15 189 21 209 22 182 19
House Laterals 525 53 468 54 502 52 498 53
Misc. Problems 323 32 217 25 254 26 265 28
995 100 874 100 965 100 945 100
It is noted that twenty-six percent of the 945 total calls
came during overtime hours at night or on weekends . The
following is a breakdown of only the overtime sewer service
requests during the last three years:
1989 1990 1991 3 Year Avg.
Type of Call # # # #
City Main Sewer 65 24 83 32 76 36 75 31
House Laterals 90 34 116 46 89 42 98 40
Misc. Problems 111 42 56 22 45 22 71 29
266 100 255 100 210 100 244 100
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The sewer rodding fee was raised to $70/hour
on April 1, 1991 . The City charged the following amounts for
sewer rodding services during the last three years:
1989 1990 1991 3 Year Avg.
@ $55/hr. @ $60/hr. @ $70/hr.
$29,590 $28,270 $35,010 $30,957
SEWER CALL ANALYSIS
1989 - 1992
Thousand*$
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1899 1990 1991 1892(Protected)
NM FEES COLLECTED ®DEPT.COST
DATA SOURCE.ELOIN PUBLIC WORKS DEPT.
MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
March 11, 1992
Page 3
Utilizing projected 1992 wages and the average number
of calls, we would experience a loss of revenue ($1,998 . 98)
over the next year at the current rate of $70/hour (see
attachment) . That loss is attributed to an anticipated wage
increase in 1992 and associated increases in administrative
and benefit costs . Utilizing projected 1992 expenses and the
average number of calls, a new fee of $75 would generate a
surplus of $491 . 02 (as a comparison) .
RECOMMENDATION: At the present charge of $70 per hour, we
expect a net loss to the City for house lateral rodding. We
recommend that the sewer rodding fee be increased to $75 per
hour. We will continue to monitor costs for the rodding of
private house laterals on a yearly basis .
Larry . . 'ice, Aft, Manager
LLR:GWM:pn
Attachment
/► MDM0096/TEXT071/MEMOTOCN.0
r
Sewer Lateral Roddinq Costs 3-11-92
CREW HOURLY TRUCK HOURLY
1989 Actual Calls : SIZE RATE RATE RATE
Regular Time 2 X $26 . 74 + 3 . 19 = $56 . 67
Overtime 1 X $33 . 82 + 3 . 19 = $37 . 01
Regular Time Calls 435 X $56 . 67 = $24 , 651 . 45
Overtime Calls 90 X $37 . 01 = $ 3, 330 . 90
Cost per Call=$53 . 30 (Avg. ) 525 $27,982 . 35
Total Fees Collected @ $55/hr. =-$29 ,590 . 00
Profit (Loss) $ 1, 607 . 65
1990 Actual Calls :
Regular Time 2 X $30 .95 + 3 . 19 = $65 . 09
Overtime 1 X $38 .35 + 3 . 19 = $41 .54
Regular Time Calls 352 X $65 . 09 = $22, 911.68
Overtime Calls 116 X $41 .54 = $ 4,818 . 64
Cost per Call=$59 .25 (Avg. ) 468 $27,730 . 32
Total Fees Collected @ $60/hr. =-$28,270 . 00
Profit (Loss) $ 539 .68
1991 Actual Calls : 47)
Regular Time 2 X $32 .55 + 6 . 10 = $71 .20
Overtime 1 X $40.30 + 6 . 10 = $46 .40
Regular Time Calls 413 X $71.20 = $29,405. 60
Overtime Calls 89 X $46 .40 = $ 4 , 129 . 60
Cost per Call=$66 . 80 (Avg. ) 502 $33,535.20
Total Fees Collected @ $70/hr. = $35,010. 00
Profit (Loss) $ 1,474 . 80
1992 Projected Calls (based on 3 yr. Avg. ) :
a. 5.25% Wage Increase
b. 4 .4% Increase in Adm/Benifit Costs
c. Increased Vehicle Costs
Regular Time 2 X $34 . 35 + 10 .46 = $79 . 16
Overtime 1 X $42 .55 + 10 .46 = $53 . 01
Regular Time Calls 400 X $79 . 16 = $31,664 .00
Overtime Calls 98 X $53 . 01 = $ 5, 194 . 98
Cost per Call=$74 .00 (Avg. ) 498 $36 , 858 . 98
a. Total Fees Anticipated @ $70 498 X $70 .00 =-$34,860 . 00
Profit (Loss) ($ 1, 998 . 98)
Al)
b. Total Fees Anticipated @ $75 498 X $75 . 00 =-$37 , 350 . 00
Profit (Loss) $ 491 . 02
c. Total Fees Anticipated @ $80 498 x $80 . 00 =-$39 , 840 . 00
Profit (Loss) $ 2 , 981 . 02