November 2025 Community Update

Good afternoon, American Falls!

As we begin a new year and welcome a new City administration, I would like to provide a monthly newsletter-style update and open conversation through Facebook. My goal is to keep you informed about current events within the City, both the good and the challenging, and to ensure that information comes directly from me. If you ever wish to discuss a topic further, I welcome phone calls, in-person meetings, or continued conversation online.
During this year’s budgeting process, our priority was to keep costs as manageable as possible for our residents. Many of you may have noticed that utility rates did not increase in October. The City Council and I chose to delay the annual rate adjustment until January 1 to help ease the financial strain of the holiday season.

Beginning in January, residents will see a 5% increase in wastewater, sanitation, and recycling rates and a 10% increase in water rates. The higher adjustment to water rates is part of the three-year plan initiated in 2023 to ensure we have sufficient capital for the upcoming water distribution line project. In 2026, the Council and I will reevaluate our utility structure, particularly water rates, to assess where we stand and where we need to be. My hope is that we can work toward stabilizing rates, ideally moving to incremental “cost-of-living” style adjustments in the future.

We have also completed the fourth and final bid review for the water distribution project. RS Jobber was awarded the contract, and construction is expected to begin in early spring, with an estimated completion date in late 2027. Approximately 65% of the total project cost is currently funded through grants and loan-forgiveness programs. Additionally, the bids came in below projected estimates, which is excellent news and will help reduce long-term financial impacts on our community. We remain actively engaged in pursuing further grant opportunities.

For now, these are the primary updates I have to share. I believe most of this news is positive, even if some aspects may not be as welcome as we would all prefer. Please know that your City officials work diligently to keep American Falls affordable, resilient, and a wonderful place to call home.
Wishing you and your families a very Happy Thanksgiving.