By Margie Plunkett
LANTANA – Residents will see rates on the rise in Lantana, as the Town boosted fees for garbage, water, building permits and other services as of June 22.
Rising rates will help cover expenses including equipment for trash collection that’s in need of repair or replacement, Council members noted recently.
The increases come as budgets in Lantana and other municipalities throughout the state are pressured by plummeting revenue from property taxes that have fallen as home values decline. Lantana’s property taxes declined 14.6 percent, according to June 1 estimates by the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser.
The fee for trash and garbage pickup for residential users rose to $19.95 a month per unit, compared with $18.04 previously. Recycling fees increase to $2.07 a month from $1.88. And special trash pick-ups go up to $60 from $50.
Businesses will pay $52.95 per month for trash pick up, up from $48.14.
Residential water rates are also increasing. For users with ¾ or 5/8 inch meters, the minimum monthly fee for each residence will rise to $19.06 from $18.15 as of July 2008. The usage rates rise to $1.18 per 1,000 gallons from residents that use up to 5,000 gallons, compared with $1.12 per 1,000 gallons last July.
Wastewater services for the lowest meter size are going up as well: to a minimum $12.55 a month from $11.95 a month. For each 1,000 gallons of usage, residence will now pay $4.34 per 1,000 gallons, up from $4.13 a year ago.
If you want to have your water meter tested, and it turns out there’s nothing wrong with it, the charge is now $132 for the smallest meters, compared with $50 previously. If the meter is faulty, the fee is waived.
Lantana is charging more for a building permit, boosting the minimum fee to $60 from $40 and revising a sliding schedule based on construction value. This year, the fee is 3 percent of value for $100,000 or less, 2 percent for $100,001 to $200,000 and 1 percent for $200.001 plus. Plan reviews also rose to a minimum $60 from $40.
Some marine safety rates are changing as well. Parking meters at the beach rise to $1.50 per hour from $1. The town estimated it can raise $50,000 with the added fee.
Beach access permits for non-commercial vessels – like jet skis and Hobe cats – rise to $10 a day from $5. And beach access permits for commercial services like beach cleaning increase to $15 a day from $10.
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