Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Ukiah council starts Prop. 218 process to raise sewer rates; hearing set for Sept. 17
Summary
The Ukiah City Council voted to begin the Proposition 218 protest process for proposed sewer rate increases after a presentation from rate consultant Mark Hildebrand outlining a five‑year plan to rebuild reserves, cover higher insurance and recycled‑water costs, and avoid new long‑term debt.
The Ukiah City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to begin the Proposition 218 protest process for proposed sewer rate increases and authorized mailing notices to property owners and customers, with a public hearing set for Sept. 17.
The move starts a 45‑day protest window under Proposition 218, the procedural requirement in California law that gives ratepayers a chance to object before a local government may raise utility rates. If a majority of affected ratepayers file timely protests, council cannot adopt the proposed increases.
Rate consultant Mark Hildebrand told the council the city’s sewer utility needs revenue adjustments primarily to rebuild cash reserves drained by recent, grant‑driven capital work, to cover sharply higher insurance costs and a new allocation of recycled‑water debt and operating costs to the sewer enterprise, and because connection‑fee revenue ran…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
