Water and sewer rate increase
The Covington City Council approved the first reading of an ordinance to increase water and sewer rates for city residents, passing on an expected 10 percent increase that the county is planning to charge the city.

The water rate will increase for every level of use:
• the base rate charge for the first 3,000 gallons or less will increase to $15.18 from $13.80
 • the rate for users from 3,001 to 50,000 gallons, will increase to $.4.84 per 1,000 gallons from up from $4.40
 • the rate for users of more than 50,000 gallons will increase to $5.04 per 1,000 gallons up from $4.58

The charge of sewer will be $6.00 per thousand gallons.

The city and county also raised rates last year.

In other council news, a contractor has been selected, Jje Constructors, for the Turner Lake Roundabout. City Manager Steve Horton said the contract being let through DOT. The contractors have gone out to the scene and have done measurements, road painting, and survey work - digging potholes to check depths on things.

"In essence the project is underway," Horton said Tuesday morning, "They're trying to do all the work they can do, all the work that is humanely possible before closing the roads."

He said road could be closed for up to 180 days, but the contractors hope to minimize that as much as possible. A detour plan will be put in place once the road is closer to being closed.