Effective January 1, 2024, the Water Department will be increasing water billing rates in an effort to keep pace with record inflation and the escalating costs of maintaining our water supply infrastructure. An extensive effort has been made to maintain a balance between reasonable pricing and ensuring we have adequate funding to continue to provide all residents of Beaux Arts with reliable and safe service going forward.

The new bi-monthly base rate will be $100 and will continue to include 500cf of water usage per billing cycle. Usage beyond 500cf will be billed at $1.50 per 100cf (or portion thereof). Customers will see these new rates on their March 1st bills for water usage in January and February.

Beaux Arts water customers enjoy substantially lower rates when compared to our neighbors in Bellevue and Mercer Island. This new pricing continues this trend and is well below the average costs of the six water districts we compared our costs with (see image). Bellevue and Mercer Island also have scheduled water rate increases for years to come and/or surcharges on water usage during summer.

We always welcome Villager participation at Council meetings with any feedback or feel free to email Mayor Howes with any questions.

It’s a new year, so it’s time to renew your annual golf cart registration! Please email Deputy Clerk Tych with questions or to submit your renewal form and $30 fee. Checks can be made out to the Town of Beaux Arts Village. See https://www.beauxarts-wa.gov/other-town-services for forms and more information.

PSE has launched a Bill Discount Rate program to save customers money on their monthly energy bill. Income-eligible customers can now reduce their PSE energy bills by up to 45% a month. The program is designed to be easily accessible and in most cases no proof of income is required. The program can be used in addition to other assistance programs. To quickly find out if you are eligible, visit pse.com/discount. The only information needed is: household size, county of residency, and monthly household income. 

The Council met on Tuesday December 12th to discuss the following:

• Legislative visit with Stat Rep Tana Senn. The Council shared concerns about recent housing legislation and what the legislative picture holds for the near future.
• Comprehensive Plan Update Status: Updates are progressing on schedule. The Council expects to hold a public hearing in February to review and act on zoning-code changes recommended by the Planning Commission.
• Agreement with City of Bellevue for Shared Design and Construction Costs: Bellevue plans to replace a water main that runs through Beaux Arts. The agreement to allow that work and to allow the Water Department to repair a water line concurrently is in discussion.
• Resolution No. 332 amending Water Department Fees: Please see a full discussion of this topic above.
• Ordinance No. 468 amending the 2023 Budget. An amendment was needed to cover the extra cost of water purchased from Bellevue by the Water Department while the tank-filling controller was being repaired.
• Ordinance No. 469 adopting a final budget for 2024. 

All necessary permits were issued last month for:

• 10643 SE 29th St: tree removal permit