The Hood River City Council approved a five-year utility rate plan that seeks to increase water and sewer revenues by 3% and wastewater revenues by 14%.  Municipal Finance Director Will Norris explains the plan is constructed to both support on-going utility operations while also move toward planned capital improvements.  He adds the plan also intends to incrementally move into alignment the charges users are asked to pay with their impact on the system, generating the revenue increases from the heaviest users of the system.  The plan is also intended to expand utility assistance for rate-burdened households by funding an expanded low-income discount program through the Mid-Columbia Community Action Council.