Bigger electric bills coming in Hillsboro
Staff writer
Hillsboro residents will see a 1 cent per kilowatt-hour rate increase on their March electric bills after city council members voted unanimously Tuesday to approve an ordinance putting the rate into effect.
Base rates also will increase. The increases are designed to replenish the city’s utility fund, which had fallen to having only 28 days of cash on hand.
Residents now pay 12.95 cents per kWh plus a $12.10 a base charge. Base charges will increase to $14.50 for local residential customers and to $17 for commercial and out-of-town residential customers.
Main St. building
George Yang, owner of a building at 101 S. Main St. that has been on the council’s radar since September because of its leaking roof, has made improvements to the property, but whether the work is sufficient is not certain.
The front portion of the building last housed Quick Flick Video and Radio Shack. The back portion of the building houses Panda Kitchen.
The roof over the restaurant is not leaking, but the rest of the roof has leaked so badly that water has damaged the ground level of the building. It was ruled unsafe.
City administrator Matt Stiles told council members Tuesday that he was awaiting an inspection report from Mahaney Roofing.
If the work doesn’t meet building codes, the city could complete it and charge the building owner, Stiles said.
Parking woes
Kathy Gehring, who owns Kathy’s Floral Designs, 107 E Grand Ave., will get a designated parking spot in front of her business to make it easier and safer to load floral arrangements.
Many businesses have loading areas, but hers does not, Gehring told council member. She sometimes has to park across the street and walk back and forth to load arrangements.
During winter, when arrangements have to be wrapped in plastic to protect them, the wrapping makes it hard for her to see.
“Some of my arrangements, I have to get help from another person because they’re very heavy,” Gehring said. “What I would like is a designated parking spot in front of my shop, it would have my name on it, and it could be enforced.”
Stiles said he thought a designated stall with Gehring’s name on it might encourage other business owners to request the same. He recommended designating a loading and unloading spot instead.
Council members voted, however, to install a sign — to be paid for by Gehring — as she requested.