PLEASANT PRAIRIE ENTERPRISE FUNDS
Four Pleasant Prairie Utilities (Sewer, Water, Clean Water and Solid Waste/Sanitation) and the Recreation Division at RecPlex are operated as "enterprise funds." They are called enterprise funds, because they are operated like a business. These areas receive income from: fees charged for services provided, loans, grants, the resale of capital equipment and donations. This income is then used to cover operating expenses, large capital purchases or improvements, and to pay down debt for the particular enterprise or area.
Pleasant Prairie uses the enterprise fund structure for these areas to more fairly distribute the costs associated with the ventures to all who benefit from or have an impact on the enterprise. If the cost for operating these enterprises was included on your property tax bill, smaller residential users could be paying the same as larger users, and some properties (like churches and the power plant) wouldn't pay for the service they receive at all. On December 20, the Village Board considered and passed the 2011 budgets for the Solid Waste/Sanitation Utility and the Clean Water Utility.
SOLID WASTE/SANITATION UTILITY - WHAT TO EXPECT DURING 2011
Solid Waste/Sanitation is the name of the utility that provides garbage, recycling, leaf collection and compost services to Village residents. During 2011, the Sanitation Utility will extend service hours at the Compost Site by adding Wednesday hours and remaining open on certain holidays throughout the year. New in 2011, the Sanitation Utility will also provide two community "shred events" throughout the year. During the community shred events, Village residents will be able to bring sensitive documents to the Roger Prange Municipal Center for on-site destruction. The first community shred event has been planned for May 14. Watch your monthly newsletter for details as the date approaches. There will be no rate increases for Sanitation services during 2011.
CLEAN WATER UTILITY - WHAT TO EXPECT DURING 2011
The Clean Water Utility was created in 2006 in response to Federal mandates requiring municipalities to increase their efforts to improve storm water quality. These mandates are intended to protect the country's natural water resources (lakes, streams, rivers and groundwater) from contaminated storm water runoff. Storm water originates from rain or melting snow. As it flows across the landscape, storm water collects contaminants and hazardous materials and transports them through the storm sewer and into our natural water resources.
All properties contribute to storm water runoff, to varying degrees based upon the type of soil and surface on the property and how the property is used. The Village collects a storm water fee from property owners based upon how a property generates storm water. The funds collected by the Utility are used to pay for maintenance of Village-owned storm water infrastructure (such as the storm sewer), the repair and cleaning of catch basins, preserving natural drainage systems like streams and vegetative buffers, and to build a fund for the future replacement of existing infrastructure.
Clean Water Utility fees will not increase as a result of the 2011 budgeting process. The Utility will continue work on storm water solutions in the south Kenosha and Chateau Eau Plaines areas. The Utility will also work to update it's storm water management plan to reflect completed projects and new project areas that have been identified. More information about the Clean Water Utility, including an informational video, is available by clicking here.