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Fresno County approves water and sewer fee increases for two service areas after protest tabulations; staff asked to seek state relief for fixed‑income users
Summary
Board approved new fee structures for Water Works District 40 (Shaver Springs) and County Service Area 44D (Monteverdi) after tabulating written protests that did not reach a majority; staff will apply for state relief for low‑income residents in District 40.
Fresno County supervisors on June 24 completed public protest hearings and approved proposed water and sewer fee restructures for Water Works District 40 (Shaver Springs) and County Service Area 44D (Monteverde).
Staff said Water Works District 40 serves 69 residential lots plus one out‑of‑district residential water user. After the public hearing and tabulation, staff reported 17 protest letters of 70 possible—about 24 percent—which did not constitute a majority protest. The board approved the recommended fee schedule and directed staff to apply immediately to the State for relief for residents on fixed incomes, similar to prior applications for other districts.
For County Service Area 44D (Monteverde), staff reported 11 protest letters out of 126 possible (about 9 percent); again, that did not meet the threshold for majority protest and the board approved the recommended fee structure. County staff said the fee redesigns include a base charge and a usage component for water and a fixed monthly sewer charge, and that the structures are intended to recover operations and maintenance costs, address unpaid charges and raise reserves.
A supervisor raised concerns that consultant‑recommended increases for one district would be large for fixed‑income residents—staff and the board discussed prior state relief applications for other districts and confirmed they would prepare and submit a similar application for District 40. Staff said the District 40 structure would escalate by about 5 percent per year after a threshold in mailings and that the county expects to evaluate the contract after three years.
Both hearings followed the county’s protest procedures: written protests were accepted at the clerk’s office before the hearing closed and tabulation was conducted publicly. In both cases, staff recommended approval because protests did not constitute a majority of affected parcels and the board approved the motions to adopt the new fee structures.
