Tauranga City Council is likely to keep rates at 3.4 per cent in the coming financial year, a feat achieved largely by limiting the water rates increase.

During deliberations on the Ten Year Plan this week councillors decided against increasing the fixed water charge to $52, deciding instead to keep it at $26 per annum.

The volumetric charge will increase to $1.70 per cubic metre from the current $1.58. The proposal in the draft plan was to increase it to $1.80.

The decision means the perceived deficit in the water supply budget will be paid back in four years instead of two.

The water charges decision is among more than 200 decisions made by councillors this week as they make their way through the public feedback and submissions on the Draft Ten Year Plan.

Among those decisions was the approval for a $600,000 for another hydro-slide at Baywave.

Two other Council Controlled Organisations will also benefit from council assistance.

TCVL will receive $5million in the next three years, and Tauranga City Art Gallery's grant of $847,400 will again be inflation adjusted from 2013/14 onwards.

Tauranga Hockey is to receive $200,000 to help replace the two artificial turfs at Blake Park. The total cost is $1.3million. TECT has allocated $800,000, depending on Tauranga Hockey sourcing the remainder of funds by March, 31 2013.

Councillors will also set aside $770,000 in the 2012/13 budget to repair the Matapihi footbridge as soon as possible following a report by engineers deeming the bridge unsafe in places.

Councillors declined a motion to close the bridge for safety reasons. Chief executive Ken Paterson has acted by installing security guards on a temporary basis to advise bridge users of the risks.

The council is also handing $200,000 to the Western Bay of Plenty Council as a contribution towards sealing Oropi Road. Silt from Oropi Road and the Oropi Gorge Road is clogging the city's water treatment plant filters.

Councillors have budgeted $295,000 in 2012/13 to 'do something” with Pilot Bay.

The amount is reduced from the $420,000 proposed in the Draft Ten Year Plan.

The walkway debate remains unresolved. Instead of a clear decision over a board walk or concrete path, councillors have resolved the area be improved with 'a combination of treatments”.

The council agreed to continue operating the mobile library until the outcome of the library review is known. The library review is due to start in July.

The council is hoping a public-private partnership will add scope to the Greerton Library changes, but has allowed only six months for any such deal to emerge, before embarking on the cheapest expansion option.

The council is also continuing to work with potential developers of a joint-venture for the Phoenix car park at the Mount.

The council confirmed its support for the Tertiary Campus on Durham Street by making the land available.

Ratepayers won the road sealing debate. The council proposed replacing the ageing hot mix seal in many suburban developments with cheaper chip seal. Councillors approved a ‘like for like' policy instead of the cheaper 'for purpose' proposal.

Street lighting will be replaced on a ‘fit for purpose' basis instead of ‘like for like'.

Councillors decided not to sell the Soper Reserve in Newton Road, Mount Maunganui, and agreed to work with Ngai Tamarawaho and others on the Te Ranga battle site.

A proposal from the Merivale Community Centre to target Merivale rates to help fund the centre's services will be evaluated.

Part of Cambridge Park between the BMX track and Route K is to be developed for the use of dog club facilities, with the help of $40,000 from ratepayers in the 2014/15 financial year, to assist with earthworks and grassing.

The council decided to do nothing about the Masonic Park in the central city for the next ten years.

Surf Life Saving NZ's application for increased funding to pay for satellite surf life guard stations was declined.

They also knocked back a request to pressure the regional council into support the Home of Cycling developments in Cambridge and Rotorua.

A request by the Otumoetai Golf Club to extend its car park will be evaluated. A request from BOP Cricket to bring forward from 2014/15 to 2012/13 the development of a new car-park at Blake Park is declined.

Requests for toilets at Waipuna Park, Arataki Park and Fergusson Park are declined, while the council will continue negotiating with Mount Maunganui College for access to their toilets adjacent to Macville Park.

As a cost saving measure six playground projects at various city reserves will not be reinstated. Council funding for the regional orchestra is also declined.

Bob Clarkson's proposal to turn Tauriko farmland into a housing development will be formally evaluated with the SmartGrowth partners at Bob's cost.

The council approved spending $20,000 in 2012/13 to part-fund the Safe City Co-ordinator role. The Civil Defence and Emergency Management receives an extra $52,000 per annum.

The final document will be adopted on June 26.