The Yelm City Council will vote to enact a commercial irrigation cutback this summer. Since the city has pumped more water than their water allocation allows, the city is forced to take drastic actions to conserve water, taking aim at Yelm businesses to reduce overall water consumption.

This irrigation curtailment on Yelm businesses is what the Mayor will tell the Chamber of Commerce members when he addresses their forum this Tuesday.
And Mayor Harding says he & the Council are business-friendly?
Let’s add up the tally:
1. a B & O tax increase on businesses in 2009
2. 1% tax property increases in 2008 & 2009
3. Utility tax increase
4. a water rate increase of 16% in 2009
5. an additional water rate increase in 2010
6. a required water irrigation cutback in 2010
and all to fund the city’s unacknowledged errors in planning.

As per usual, this Chamber will be silent and not question the mayor on any of the city’s actions, instead giving polite applause or none at all, receiving none the last time, as he acknowledged at his State of the City address last February.

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The city’s Staff Report says this will save 35 acre feet per year, enough to supply 144 homes.
Since the city is over-pumping their water allocation and must take stringent measures to curtail water use, they continue to issue building permits, as reported here last month.

Remember, the city has had no approved Water System Plan (WSP) for almost 2 years and raised water rates as of April 1st. City water customers will get a kick in the gut when they see another 16% increase in their next water bill!

CITY RESIDENTS SHOULD READ THE FIRST PARAGRAPH ONE OF SECTION 13.04.097 OF THE YELM MUNICIPAL CODE WHICH STATES:
‘that the city reserves the right for any cause to make any order regulating forbidding or restricting the use of water for irrigation or sprinkling or any other outside usage…”

GET READY FOR WATERING FINES BY THE POLICE THIS SUMMER!