POST FALLS - Post Falls residents who use more than 50,000 gallons of water per month will pay a higher rate.

The City Council on Tuesday night unanimously approved a rate of $1.41 per 1,000 gallons over the 50,000-gallon mark compared to the regular rate of 94 cents.

The idea behind the rate hike is to urge conservation during the critical summer months and delay the city from having to request additional water rights, which has drawn protests from environmentalists in the past.

No one spoke against the rate hike during the public hearing.

The lone resident who testified, Barry Rubin, suggested either replacing the rate hike proposal or adding to it with one that reduced rates or provided a credit for residents who use under a certain amount.

"This would provide a broad-spectrum approach and positive psychological advantages for a reduction in your water bill," Rubin said.

The council did not discuss Rubin's suggestion.

Most residents likely won't be affected by the higher water rate.

The average monthly usage is about 30,000 gallons and the 50,000-gallon mark is typically only reached during summer months by some households. In 2009, 20 percent of the customers were using more than 50,000 gallons during the summer months.

* In other business, Mayor Clay Larkin broke a 3-3 council vote by denying a request to provide city water to the 40-unit Savory Mobile Home Park off Ross Point Road. In denying the water request, annexation won't be considered.

Larkin said he understands public works director Terry Werner's compassion to provide better water to the park's residents, but he believes that would lead to other services needed such as wastewater and streets. Werner said there are other ways to access improved water than tapping into the city's system, but they may be more costly.

Larkin said he also considered police Chief Scot Haug's concerns over an increased workload for his department that is already below optimal staffing levels.

In the past year, the Kootenai County Sheriff's Department responded to the park 87 times. Thirty-six of the calls were serious in nature, including drugs, domestic violence, warrant arrests, rape and weapon offenses.

In some other cases, the city has extended water to areas outside city limits seeking better water.

Annexing pockets of the county that are contiguous with city boundaries is also generally supported by the council.

* During a public hearing on revised impact fees for new growth, no public comments were received.

With the exception of homes of four bedrooms or more, all impact fees are proposed to decline due to less expected growth and a reduction in the city's capital improvement projects.

Impact fees are one-time payments from builders or developers to represent new growth's fair share of capital facility needs for parks and recreation, public safety and transportation. The fees can only be used for capital improvements, not operating or maintenance costs.

Council member Ron Jacobson said he questions whether lower fees are justified, especially when taxpayers still have to make up for some of the cost of new growth.

But Carson Bise of TischlerBise, the consultant who conducted the impact fee study in cooperation with the local Development Impact Fee Advisory Commission, said impact fees never totally pay for growth.

"Never expect impact fees to cover 100 percent of the growth-related costs," Bise said.

Another public hearing will be held on the impact fee proposals on Nov. 1.