Angels Camp council votes to proceed with public hearing on proposed water and wastewater rate changes, schedules Feb. 4

The City of Angels City Council on Jan. 21 voted to proceed with a Proposition 218 public hearing on proposed water and wastewater rate changes and scheduled that hearing for Feb. 4, 2025.

Council members and staff said the action follows months of study, a public workshop and eight written protests the city received during the required notice period. ‘‘We mailed out the notification letters on December 20, which gives us 45 days from the time they were mailed until the public hearing today,’’ said Steve Williams, interim city manager and administrator. Williams told the council the city has about 1,800 water and wastewater customers and that ‘‘50% plus 1 protests … is 901’’ customers required to stop the proposal under the protest rules; the city had received eight protest letters to date.

The vote sends the proposal back to the public for formal comment under the Proposition 218 process. That law requires a mailed notice and a protest period before a jurisdiction can adopt rates for water and sewer services; staff and the city attorney advised the council that, in their view, the notice and procedural requirements were met.

Why it matters: The proposed changes are part of a five‑year rate study meant to fund capital improvements and operations for the water and wastewater systems. Staff and the consultant said the study prioritizes a limited set of capital projects that the city expects it can complete in five years, while postponing others to avoid charging ratepayers now for projects the city does not plan to fund immediately.

What staff presented: Michelle Gonzales, the city finance director, summarized the study and the council’s direction to reduce the consultant’s initial recommendation. ‘‘The initial recommendation from the consultant was a 5%…