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West Sacramento council authorizes Prop 218 notice ceiling after workshop on water and sewer rate scenarios
Summary
After a detailed workshop on four funding scenarios for water and sewer capital needs, the council directed staff to begin the Proposition 218 notification process using the EU Commission’s recommended scenario as the ceiling; staff presented projected 5‑year capital asks and customer bill impacts under each scenario.
The West Sacramento City Council on Dec. 3 directed staff to begin the legally required Proposition 218 notification process using the EU Commission’s recommended combined water and sewer funding scenario as the ceiling for potential rate increases.
Staff and HF&H Consultants presented four funding scenarios for water and sewer enterprise funds: a low, a mid (staff-recommended), a full‑ask scenario tied to all master-plan projects, and an EU Commission–modified mid scenario (labelled scenario 4). Presentations detailed system conditions, capital project priorities (including the high service manifold vault, South Lift Station and major mainline repairs), and projected five‑year capital needs. Staff said West Sacramento’s combined water and sewer master-plan asks were large (staff cited figures such as a water master-plan recommendation of roughly $89.5 million and a five‑year sewer CIP of about $54.1 million) and that doing nothing would deplete reserves in coming years.
Consultant Rick Simonson outlined revenue options that mix rate increases, reserve draws and debt financing and showed how different scenarios would affect average residential bills over five years; examples included first‑year rate impacts ranging from low‑single-digit percentage increases to mid‑teens under some packages and cumulative multi‑year increases that materially change average bills by year five. Staff also described an existing low‑income rate assistance program funded from Measure K, noted the program’s low utilization, and said outreach would be expanded.
Councilmembers debated trade-offs between minimizing short-term rate shock and funding critical, front‑loaded repairs that, if deferred, would likely cost more and carry safety or reliability risks. On a motion made and seconded in open session, the council voted to authorize staff to mail the Prop 218 notices using the EU Commission recommendation (scenario 4) as the notice ceiling and to return for a March protest hearing and final rate adoption; the clerk recorded the roll call in support of that direction.
