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Parlier council orders new water-rate study after federal funding changed assumptions
Summary
Council directed staff to run a fresh water-rate study after USDA grants and recharge funding changed the assumptions behind a 2021 rate increase. The move follows public complaints about high bills and questions over a fixed monthly service charge.
Mayor Elma Beltran and councilors directed staff to prepare a new water-rate study after city officials determined some of the 2021 rate assumptions no longer apply. The mayor told the council the 2021 rate study included a volumetric increase tied to GSA costs and a separate fixed monthly charge described in some public materials as tied to a TCP (trichloroethylene) filtration project.
"The fixed monthly rate is actually a service fee, which is a processing fee," Mayor Beltran said during discussion, urging caution because the city now has USDA funding that fully covers the TCP filtration project the earlier increase had anticipated. She asked the acting city manager and city engineer to work with the original consultant (Bergman) and prepare an updated analysis.
Councilors emphasized the need to avoid misleading the public and to complete the study before making final decisions. The council approved a roll-call motion directing the acting city manager and the city engineer to consult with the consultant who performed the 2021 study and return with a revised rate analysis.
Staff framed the new study as a review of changed circumstances rather than a predetermined plan to raise or lower rates. Council members asked staff to report back at the next meeting with recommendations.
This action aims to resolve several public complaints about unexpectedly high water bills and to ensure rate-setting follows Proposition 218 requirements for cost-based justification.
