North Platte residents can expect to pay more for electricity and wastewater services beginning in October with the rate increased passed by the North Platte City Council Tuesday night.

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The new electric rates, a 7-percent increase, are a pass-through charge from the wholesale rate increase initiated by the Nebraska Public Power District, the supplier of North Platte’s electricity. The NPPD wholesale rate for electricity is expected to begin in January, 2009. Municipal Light and Water will begin charging more in October 2008.

According to Dawn Miller of ML and W, the impact will be about $4.93 per month for customers on their summer bill and an additional $2.67 per month on their winter bill.

Miller said the example is based on 1,200 kilowatts per month. She said in the summer that amount of electricity would be billed at $107.14 on the old rates. Under the new rates customers would pay $112.07 on their summertime bills.

In the winter, 1,200 kilowatts per month runs $63.76 a month. Under the new rate system, ML and W customers would pay $66.52.

ML and W also raised the rates for wastewater service due to the new wastewater treatment plant recently constructed.

According to Miller, customers who pay the current minimum of $11.55 will increase approximately $1.75 a month to $13.30 a month. Customers who use 6,000 gallons of water will see their rate increase from $13.86 to $15.96 a month, about a $2.10 average, Miller said.

In other business, the council:

• Approved an application by Dick Day, dba Big E’s Lounge in Cozad, for a specially designated liquor permit on Sept. 20, from 1 p.m. to 1 a.m. at the National Guard Armory, 1700 N. Jeffers, for a wedding reception.

• Accepted a report from David Bertram, certification administrator, for the volunteer firefighters who qualified for the 2007-2008 North Platte Volunteer Firefighter’s Service Award Program and authorized the incentive funds, $10,800, to be placed in a trust fund at First National Bank of North Platte. 14 volunteers qualified this year.

• Approved the Wagner Family Replat at 1020 N. Jeffers and the Thiem First Replat at 2004 and 2008 West 18th Street.

• Unanimously adopted an ordinance to allow emergency management temporary debris holding sites in all zoning districts on city and county owned property on the first reading.

Jim Nitz, emergency management director, said the city was using a FEMA template and if a disaster declaration is declared, the new ordinance will allow use of property for temporary debris storage. An attempt to suspend the rules that require three readings and pass the ordinance on it’s first reading failed.

• Unanimously adopted an ordinance which defined what a replat is on the first reading. It reads, “Replat is the act of changing a recorded plat or subdivision by consolidating, reconfiguring or subdividing one or more lots, blocks, parcels or tracts of land.

• Unanimously adopted an ordinance regarding parking spaces for beauty shops and barbershops on the first reading. It reads, “Beauty shops and barbershops: Three parking spaces for each operator or one space per occupant at maximum occupancy, whichever is less.”

• Adopted on the third reading an ordinance that that the depth of a lot shall not be more than three times the width of the lot at the building line.

• Suspended the rules and unanimously approved an ordinance creating a paving district in Bare Avenue from the intersection of West Six Street north to the intersection of Front Street. 6-2 Pederson and Parish voted not to suspend the rules.

• Approved interlocal agreements with Lincoln County for the animal shelter, dispatch services, emergency management, fuel, the jail and road maintenance. The Lincoln County Board of Commissioners approved the agreement.

• Authorized Mayor G. Keith Richardson to enter into an interlocal agreement with the North Platte schools to partner and have a School Resource Officer at the schools.