Dean Proposes New Structure for Water Fees

Nashville Mayor Karl Dean proposed a measure today to appease small businesses negatively impacted by water capacity fees in recent months.

Dean’s ordinance would allow businesses who pay the higher commercial start-up fees to spread them out in monthly payments over three years.

Entrepreneur Dan Heller, who met with the mayor last week about the issue, says the restructuring of the fees is a start.

“But what we hope is that this is not the last step that is taken because the fees themselves, whether you pay them right up front or space them out, they’re still outrageously high.”

A tenant in one of Heller’s East Nashville properties pulled out when he was smacked with a 42-thousand dollar capacity fee that had to be paid up front. Heller and others contend the larger issue is that water fees for residential customers have not gone up in 20 years.