The Glendale City Council on June 24 adopted an ordinance establishing a dedicated stormwater fee and approved a multi‑year package of water, sewer and urban‑irrigation rate adjustments.

Staff presentation and key elements: Ron Serio, director of Water Services, described the proposed stormwater fee as $2 per month for each single‑family residential unit, with variable charges for other customers based on meter size. Serio said about 83% of the revenue expected from the new stormwater fee is funding activities currently charged to the sewer fund; staff proposed reducing the sewer rate increase planned for the year by 3% to shift those costs, and that roughly 17% of the stormwater program’s cost had previously come from the general fund, freeing about $400,000 to reallocate to other uses. Serio said establishing the fee would set a dedicated funding stream for stormwater services that are already being performed by Water Services and Parks.

Separately, staff presented a consultant rate study and a proposed multi‑year increase for water and sewer services: the consultant recommended a 13.3% increase for water and a 7.5% increase for sewer over five years; staff reduced the sewer increase to 4.5% for the first year to accommodate the stormwater funding shift. Combined, the package produces an approximately 11% effective increase in year one across water/sewer/stormwater and about 8.9% for the remaining years. The water and sewer rate increases are scheduled to take effect in October 2025; an urban irrigation fee will increase by $71 per year effective April 2026.

Council discussion and votes: Councilmember Conchas voted no on both the stormwater ordinance (O25‑34) and the water/sewer rate resolution (R25‑73) and asked questions about fairness and distributional impacts. Councilmembers cited the city’s multi‑hundred‑million‑dollar capital program for water and sewer (staff said next fiscal year capital budget is about $77 million, rising to about $88 million in year 4 and a five‑year total in the neighborhood of $400 million) and noted the replacement value of water and sewer infrastructure is in the “multi‑billions.” The council approved the ordinance and the resolution on roll call votes as recorded in the transcript.

Why it matters: Staff said the increases are intended to preserve system reliability, support large capital programs (pipe replacement and treatment plant needs) and avoid deferring capital work that would be costlier in emergencies. Mayor Jerry Wires and other council members emphasized that failing to invest proactively would raise long‑term costs and service risks.

Public outreach and schedule: Staff said the city held public outreach beginning in February, including two public meetings, and that rate adjustments will be phased per the study schedule. The stormwater ordinance establishes the fee in City Code chapter 33; the council set effective dates consistent with staff presentations.

Ending: Council approved a new stormwater fee and a multi‑year water and sewer rate schedule to support operations and capital programs; several council members requested additional review and information on capital allocation and inter-district equity in future work sessions.