BARAGA – Baraga Village Council approved raising water rates, in accordance with the terms of its Rural Development loan.

“This is our second bump,” Village Manager LeAnn LeClaire said Tuesday at the council meeting.

Village customers will pay $32.50, township customers will pay $35, and commercial customers will pay $43.50 per month for up to 4,000 gallons. In addition to the monthly rate, village, township and commercial users will pay $7.60 for each additional 1,000 gallons they use over the initial 4,000.

Baraga Max prison’s rate was set at $7.20 per 1,000 gallons.

LeClaire said the rate hikes are in keeping with the terms of the village water system loan from the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development, which requires the village rates go up to $37 by January 2018.

In other news, LeClaire reported the village marina collected twice as much money as last year.

“This is the first time I’ve seen the marina in the black since I’ve been here,” she said.