Tehachapi council adopts staged water and wastewater rate increases after Prop 218 hearings

The Tehachapi City Council voted 5-0 on May 5 to adopt new water and wastewater service charges after Prop 218 public hearings, concluding that the written protests received did not constitute a majority. Staff reported 50 written protests related to the proposed water charges and 49 written protests related to the wastewater charges; both sets of written protests were overruled and the council adopted the rate schedules described in the staff reports.

City Public Works Director Don Marsh and consultant Monique Roberts of AECOM told the council the increases are intended to cover a run of maintenance and capital projects and to restore fund reserves. “These are all projects that are needed to be done to continue to have a reliable water system for the city as well as remain in compliance with all the state requirements,” Marsh said during the hearing.

Why the vote matters: the city has undertaken major rehabilitations and unplanned replacements in recent years — Marsh cited Mohave, Denison and Walser wells (each rehabilitation costing roughly $100,000–$150,000) and expensive water-main replacements at Cherry Lane and Denison. On the wastewater side, staff described a rebuilt clarifier and a replaced headworks screen as examples of aging…