Bluffton water and sewer customers should plan on a five percent utility increase reflected in their July bills.

On Monday, council passed the first reading of an ordinance to increase utility rates. According to Nancy Kindle, village fiscal officer, the general fund has helped out the water fund considerably already this year.

"The goal is for water and sewer funds to be self-sufficient and that is not happening," she said. "The general fund can not continue to fund these."

Concerning water of a recreational use, Jamie Mehaffie, village administrator, told council members that the service department is working to prepare the swimming pool for the season opener, hopefully Memorial Day weekend.

"We are going to need the weather to cooperate," he said. "We need some consecutive dry days in order to complete some painting and allow it to cure before the pool is filled."

He added that time is also needed to run all the mechanical systems and get the chemicals balanced out.

Another weather casualty is needed concrete work around town. Mehaffie said that there are several projects that village employees have not been able to complete due to the weather.

The village is waiting for an estimate for repairing the crumbling curb on Jackson Street before it is repaved.

"We have some other areas in town where the curbs did not have a good winter" he said. "East College Avenue is one area where the concrete curb is having issues. I'm trying to find out what our options may be to deal with that curb."

It was reported on Monday that the village planning commission approved the Preliminary Development Plan for the Planned Unit Development (PUD) proposed by Mennonite Home Communities of Ohio. The action took place on May 4. The project will be explained to chamber of commerce members during the Friday, May 13 chamber breakfast.

The next step in the process is the submission of the final development plans to the village planning commission.

The village administrator reported the while the majority of village property owners have done "outstanding jobs" of slogging through their yards and mowing grass this spring, a handful of properties have yet to mow their lawns.

"I am in the process of contacting the property owners and advising them of village regulations," Mehaffie said. "Hopefully, this weekend will allow many of these properties to be mowed."

In other council business it was reported that village income tax receipts for the first quarter of 2011 showed a 3 percent increase over the same period in 2010. The receipts, according to Nancy Kindle are approximately $25,000 higher than last year.