Council backs hybrid stormwater fee and sets June public hearing for proposed utility rate changes

City staff presented an update on the five‑year water, sewer, stormwater and urban irrigation rate proposal at the April 22 Glendale City Council workshop and asked for council consensus on the stormwater fee structure.

The director of water services (presenter identified in the transcript as “Director of Water Services,” name not specified) summarized public outreach, which included a dedicated webpage, informational inserts in utility bills, public open houses with media coverage, and materials posted to social media. Staff said the Citizens Utility Advisory Commission reviewed options and recommended the approach the presenter described as Option 2 (a hybrid option).

Staff explained the reason for revisiting the stormwater fee: the originally proposed flat fee ($3 per account) raised equity concerns for customers with many units (for example, large apartment complexes or commercial irrigation accounts) who would pay the same flat dollar amount per account despite greater impervious area and runoff. Staff presented three options: (1) the originally proposed flat $3 per account; (2) the hybrid used by staff as the preferred option — a flat rate for single‑family residential accounts and a variable meter‑size rate for other account types; and (3) a fully meter‑size‑based approach. Staff said the hybrid option best matched revenue allocation objectives and produced a distribution closer to the current revenue split (current rates split roughly 60% single‑family / 40% other; the flat $3 option would have produced a roughly 88% single‑family allocation).

Councilors asked clarifying questions. The council provided consensus for Option 2 (hybrid) and staff said it would place the rate package on the upcoming voting meeting agenda and ask council to adopt a Notice of Intention to raise rates and set a public hearing for June 24, 2025. Staff reminded council if the increases are adopted, water/sewer/stormwater rates would take effect October 1, 2025; urban irrigation rates — which are seasonal — would take effect April 2026.

No final vote on rates occurred at the workshop; staff will return to the June 24 public hearing and formal vote as required by state notice rules.