By NICK WERNER
nwerner@muncie.gannett.com

(Published Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009) MUNCIE — City council could take an “introductory vote” tonight on an ordinance that would increase bills for Muncie water utility customers to pay for fire hydrants.

The council is expected to act on the ordinance in a special meeting called for 5:30 p.m. today at city hall. The ordinance would introduce a hydrant fee to pay for the rental of 1,396 hydrants owned by Indiana-American Water Co.

Previously, hydrant rentals were paid for by property taxpayers through the city’s general fund.

The city council, however, recently eliminated the $630,000 line item originally appropriated for fire hydrants in 2010.

It was unclear Monday how much the average residential bill would increase as a result of the hydrant fee.

Democrat Mary Jo Barton said the council had no other choice but to institute a hydrant fee.

“We are down to nothing,” she said. “We have no other resources. We had nothing else we could look at.”

The ordinance was introduced on Friday by council president Alison Quirk, also a Democrat.

The ordinance might have bipartisan support, which has been unusual in city council lately on significant issues.

Both Democrats and Republicans like that a hydrant fee would spread some of the burden of fire protection to all property owners in Muncie, including non-profits, which do not pay property taxes.

Brad Polk and Mark Conatser, the only Republicans on city council, spoke favorably about the concept of a hydrant fee. Both also added, however, that they have unanswered questions about the fee that are keeping them undecided for now.

Conatser said he worried about Muncie residents on well water who would be receiving fire protection without paying for fire hydrants.

“That’s something that’s going to have to be looked at,” he said.

Polk said he believed a final vote would likely come at the regularly scheduled Dec. 7 council meeting.

If passed, it is unclear when the hydrant fee would take effect because that date is contingent upon approval of the new rate by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission.

City council rejected a hydrant fee in 1997.

Previous hydrant fee proposals in 1994 and 2007 were withdrawn before the council even took a vote.

Contact news reporter Nick Werner at 213-5832.