Camarillo outlines Prop 218 process and outreach as proposed water, sewer rates would raise typical bill about $27

The Camarillo City Council heard an informational presentation March 12 on proposed FY 2024–25 water and sewer rates and a multilingual public outreach plan that would begin the Proposition 218 notification process.

Assistant Finance Director Pam Townsend presented the draft results, estimated bill impacts and the outreach schedule. "On March 28, we're going to physically mail those Prop 218 notices to our customers," Townsend said, describing a timeline that includes mailed notices, two open houses and a public hearing. Mayor Kildee prefaced the presentation by noting, "This is an informational item. There will be no actions taken on rates tonight."

The presentation defined a "typical customer" as a single-family home using roughly 12 units of water. Staff showed a proposed average monthly increase of about $11.89 for sewer (from $74.30 to $86.19) and an approximately $14 increase on the water side for that typical household, producing a combined monthly bill near $163 compared with a current combined bill of about $136 — an increase of roughly $26.79. Townsend emphasized that drought surcharges adopted previously are not being changed as part of this proposal and would require a separate council decision to activate.

Townsend also described the outreach plan the city intends to use during the Prop 218 process required by the Right to Vote on Taxes Act (Proposition 218). Key dates and elements laid out by staff include: - March 26: council meeting to request authorization to mail Prop 218 notices; - March 28: bilingual Prop 218 mailed notices to property owners begin (45-day notice period); - April 8 (Tuesday evening) informational open house at Camarillo Library and April 26 (Saturday morning) open house at Council Chambers; - May 14: public hearing on proposed rates; - May 28: second reading of ordinance; - July 1: proposed effective date for any adopted rate changes.

Townsend described tools to help customers understand impacts: bilingual explainer videos, a bill calculator on the city website (cityofcamarillo.org/utilityrates) that allows users to estimate new bills by meter size and usage, printed field handouts with QR codes, utility bill messages, social media, e-news and a dedicated phone line and email. Peter Castles, the city's Community Relations Officer, said, "We've already enlisted support to have interpretive services at not only the two open houses, but also the hearing," confirming interpreter availability for Spanish-speaking residents.

Council members praised the outreach. Councilmember Tremblay called the package "the most robust public outreach that I've seen," and Councilmember Martinez Bravo said, "Great presentation. I really like the video." No council member asked staff to delay the Prop 218 mailing; staff requested direction to return on March 26 to ask the council to authorize mailing the notices.

No formal action was taken on rates during the March 12 meeting; the council and staff treated the item as informational and scheduled a follow-up on March 26 to request authorization to begin the Prop 218 process. If the council authorizes mailing on March 26, the 45‑day notice period will begin on March 28 and culminate in the May 14 public hearing required by Proposition 218.

The city noted that neighboring agencies also are conducting rate studies and that comparative positioning could change as those agencies complete their processes. Town staff repeatedly stressed the plan’s bilingual materials and multiple public touchpoints to improve transparency during the legally prescribed Prop 218 process.