HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Bill 06/18/2001 (30) •
JUN 1 8 2001 1 6
CITY OF PETALUMA, CALIFORNIA
MEMORANDUM
Water Resources and Conservation Department,22 Bassett,SI.,Petaluma CA 94952
(707) 778-4304 Fax(707)778-4437 E-mail: engineeringge petaluma.ca.us
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DATE: June 15,2001
TO: Fred Stouder, City Manager
Tom Hargis, Directorof Water Resources and Conservation -
FROM: Steve Simmons, Utility Manager
SUBJECT: Public.Response,toNotice of Public Hearing to Consider Water Rate Increase at the
June 18, 2001 City Council Meeting
A notice of a public hearing to consider a.water rate increase was sent to all City of Petaluma
water customers April 27, 2001. A notice of the public hearing and proposed water rate,increase •
was also published in the Argus-Courier on Wednesday, May 23, and Wednesday, May 30,
2001.
To date I have had five phone calls, two e-mails and two letters from various residents
• regarding the proposed-water rate increase. This is about the same level of interest last year's
water rate increase generated.-I have attached the written letters, e=mails and responses for your
information. Although we haven't received a lot of input it seems people realize price increases
for energy and from water purchaseshave to be passed along.
It is interesting that there were several very positive suggestions. One focus was on how to
apply the increase more equitably. I communicated that the City is currently doing a water and
sewer rate study to address these concerns. Another focus was centered on support for a,rate
increase to fund improvements-to the water system such as storage, wells and other projects to
increase the reliability of their:water Supply.
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a c� City • of Petaluma•
POST OFFICE Box 61
X858, PETALUMA, CA 94953-0061
E..Clark Thompson May 23 2001
Mayor �
Janice Cader-Thompson
Michael Healy
Matt Maguire
Bryant Moynihan Mel Weisberg
Mike O'Brien
Pamela Torliatt 925 Catalpa Way •
Cbuncilmembers Petaluma, CA 94954
RE: Proposed Water Rate Increase: ,
Dear Mr. Weisberg:
Thank you for your letter dated May 18,2001 regarding your request to Mayor
Thompson to-consider exempting senior citizens from the proposed water rate
increase. The City is currently in the process of completing a water and sewer rate
study that will, among other things, address the concerns your letter raised. The
• study should be completed by October of this year. I anticipate that some type of
tiered rate structure-Will be recommended for consideration by the City Council. I
• have also copied an email that I received on the subject below for your
• information and use: Asyou can see the topic is widely followed. I appreciate your
interest and corfiments. Please don't hesitate to call meat 707-778-4560 if you
would like to discuss.this further or would like more information.
Sincerely,
Steve Simmons,
• Utility Manager
Xc: Mayor Thompson
Fredrick Stouder
Water.Resources&
Conservation' Thomas Hargis
II English Street
Petaluma,CA 94952
Phone(707)778-4304 From: Tim [mailto:TimShearer @cityofangels.org]
Fax(707)776-3635 Sent: Friday, January 26, 2001 9:59 AM
E-Mail: To: City_managers @cacities.org,
d,rrc@ci.peraluma.ca.us Cc: city_managers @lists.cacities:org
Subject: SUMMARY: Tiered rates for water and wastewater based on
income and age.
Water Field Ofce. .
•N.McDowell
luma, ouleva54 I received 23 emails on this to ic. Information ranged from can't
Petaluma,CA 94954 ° 9
be done to some creative programs that are pushing the envelope.
Phone(707) 778-4392 The program that we like and feel the most comfortable with is
Fax(707) 778-4508 tiered cost based on water use. The tiers are based on water
E-Mail: conservation, cost for production, etc. The. conce t is the tier
water@cipetaluma.ca.us P
with the least water usage i.e. 300 cu. ft. or less is sufficient
to serve a srnall house with one or two occupants (i.e. low income
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Seniors) and cost the least. Higher 'water volume tiers go up per
• unit costs from'there. If you would like a complete set of the
emails I received, send your request t'o
. TimShearer @CityofAngels.org
• Tim Shearer
City of Angel's, City Administrator
• PO Box .667
Angels Camp, CA 95222
209-736-2181
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AIRY 18 2001 ISa-
MAY 18 2001
•., Mel. Weisberg RECEIVED
925 Catalpa.Way MAY ` �• '2001
Petaluma, CA 94954
E. Clark Thompson, Mayor MAYOR
PO Box 61 D E C [E Q d
Petaluma, CA 94953
Re: Proposed Water Rate Increases
WATER RESOURCES
MAY 2 1 2001 J
Dear Mayor Thompson, AND CONSERVATION
As a property-owner and resident`of Petaluma I respectfully request that you
consider exempting our community's senior citizens who are living on fixed
incomes from any increase in water rates. This exemption should be extended to
include the many senior retirement, and assisted care, living facilities that would
be forced to pass the additional costs on to their residents.
Our community's senior citizens continue to be bombarded with skyrocketing
energy costs, reductions in.Medicare services, and outrageous pharmaceutical
• prices for necessary drugs'. These resident senior citizens, many of whom are
veterans that served their country in wartime, can ill afford any further expenses
from their fixed incomes.
Fortunately I can afford the proposed rate increase and understand its
justification. However, I would personally prefer.an additional surcharge be
added to my water bill to help subsidize the seniors in our community.
I believe we must illustrate to our seniors that we honor them and that they are
welcomed members of our community. We can do this by exhibiting some
compassion for their financial hardships. Helping to protect our seniors from
further rate increases is the morally correct and socially responsible thing to do.
Wouldn't it be nice if Petaluma became known as "The Bay Area city with a heart
that cares about and protects its senior citizens"?
Thank you for your con ideration and understanding..
S' cer-
• A . Weisberg C 047111 thAtaru.pou---
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Steve Simmons
rom: Steve Simmons •
ent: Wednesday, May 16 2001.11:45 AM
o: peter_chen @am exchfagilent;com'
Cc: Thomas Hargis; Fred• touder; Katie Crump
Subject: RE: Hostage
stew Swans m
Mr. Chen,
Thanks for your input on the proposed water rate increase. In answer to
your questions:
IF THE COST OF ENERGY GOES DOWN PN THE NEAR FUTURE WILL YOU LOWER OUR
RATES (with encouragement
for conservation) ? Honestly I doh't expect electrical rates to go
down. Electricity is only one cost of operating-and maintaining the
water system. If electrical rates do decline I would expect that the
result will be that future water rate increases would be less severe but
there will be other increases such -as cost of living, wages and
inflationary factors that will probably prohibit a rate reduction. One
thing to keep in mind is the City water system is owned by the residents
of Petaluma and is not a private enterprise focused on making a profit.
The increases to the water rate are only made to fund proper operation,
capital improvements and prudent maintenance of the system. As far as
encouragement for conservation, a water and wastewater ,rate study will
be completed this fall and a water conserving rate structure will be
recommended to the City Council for consideration also the recommended
ate increase is based on the amount of water you use and does not
change the fixed cost so this is an incentive to use less water in
itself.
IF THE COST OF THE WASTE TREATMENT. PROCESS HAS PAID FOR ITSELF, WILL YOU
LOWER OUR RATES?
The City's Wastewater Utility is a completely separate enterprise fund.
The revenues to pay for the new sewer plant show up on your bill as a
sewer charge. Water and Sewer revenues are not co-mingled. ,
Feel free to e-mail me or call me if you need more information.
Steve Simmons
Utility Manager '
Department of Water Resources and Conservation
P:O. Box 61
City of Petaluma, CA 94953
707-778-4392
' Fax 707-778-4508 ` .
' E-mail ssimmons @ci.petaluma.ca.us
Or---Original Message •
rom: peter_chen@am.exch.agilent .com
[mailto:peter_chen @am.exch.agilent .com]
Sent: Monday, May 14, 2001 10: 42 AM
To: water @ci.petaluma.ca.us
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Xct. Steve) Make
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C1YOF' F I i ,,,
Trevor. Pitts
1236 B ST. PETALUMA, CA 94952 707-765-0420 (-042 F,AX) ..
e-mail: trevor.pitts @pobox.com OFFICE
Petaluma City Clerk .05/30/01
Dear Sir or Madam,
regarding the public meeting on 06/18/01 on water, I will not be present, but I would like to make
the following points:
FirstlyI congratulate the new Council for reversing the foolhardy and irresponsible decision of the
previous council to delay or veto the expansion plans of the County water coop.
Secondly, I am far more concerned with security of supply of water than I am with its price,
particularly since the contemplated new prices are not high anyway.
Thirdly, I am all in favor of the use of supplies under Petaluma's control, so the more new wells
and storage the better. By the way, I heard from a long time resident that there were once springs
in the area of Oak Hill Park north of the Bodega/Baker St. interchange- is the resource being
used?
Fourthly and most important to me,like thousands of other Petalumans, I am an enthusiastic
agardener. I would not buy one of the new houses which wouldhave.a restricted supply of
landscaping water. The one I did buy has no such restriction, and I would object VEHEMENTLY
to any future restrictions on landscape water. I do not waste water, but.1 have a large garden in
which tens of thousands of dollars, and years of work have been invested. I have many native
plants and not very much lawn. In a drought, I would be willing to pay a reasonable increase in
water costs to save the garden. BUT, I WANT TO GROW MY CHOICE OF PLANTS. I DO
NOT ACCEPT THAT ANY EXTREME"ENVIRONMENTALIST" PRESSURE GROUP
CAN FORCE THEIR CHOICES ON ME BY QUANTITATIVE'RESTRICTIONS ON MY
WATER SUPPLY.
Fifthly, since tertiary treated waste water is as clean or cleaner than'Russian,River water can we
consider its promotion for as much;imgation use as possible?Can we also consider, long term,
"quaternary"treatment so that the wastewater might supply at least some of our drinking water, if
only by means of recharging suitable aquifers? We're supposed.to be in favor of recycling, after
all By profession, I'm an environmental chemist . I'm sure the technical means exist or will be
developed to safely "recycle" drinking water at some price which,will eventually be below the
marginal cost or value of the last available increment of new water supply.
I am sure that many others in the community share my views on most of the above, but are too
busy to communicate them. Please don't let the ecofanatics who are against everything dominate
the debate. I.want to keep my garden full of flowers, birds and butterflies.
• Thank you,
zzy
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MAY 15 2.001 r1
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LUCKGRAVETT
1568 TRELLIS LANE, PETALUMA, CALIFORNIA 94954-5444
707-762=8408 bcgravettgaoLcom
RECEIVED
MAY ' 2gg1
MMOR
14 May, 2001
The Petaluma City Council
11 English Street
Petaluma, California 94953
Reference: Proposed increase;in water rates, etc'.
Dear Council:
The need to increase the rates is obvious, the discussion will be on the magnitude of
the increase(s). The one fac'it of the proposed increase, the escalated cost of electric
power,
is such that this expense:could, and in all probility will, decrease in the future. Therefore
any portion of the increase due:to,;i.e:.based on, power costs should be on a sliding scale
so that when the cost of power is less that portion of the water/sewer charges should be
reduced accordingly.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
!
:� P"
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