Oakley council continues winter water overage waiver for another year

Oakley — The City Council voted unanimously to continue waiving winter water overage charges for all customers for the upcoming winter season, extending a temporary policy the council has applied the past two years.

City staff presented spreadsheets showing the November–April period and outlined scenarios that would have generated additional revenue had overages been charged. "At the bottom of the table is a five‑month total — that's the total dollar amount in revenue that was foregone by the city due to waiving of those rates," city staff member Amy said while reviewing the spreadsheet. The council chair summarized staff's estimate that collecting overages last winter would have produced about $32,000 in additional revenue.

The discussion centered on who the winter waiver was intended to help. Some council members said the waivers were originally designed for agricultural uses and to allow property owners to run water to prevent freezing; others pointed to businesses appearing regularly among the top users. Staff explained that some commercial entities — including Newport Academy and Chateau Recovery — are assigned multiple equivalent residential units (ERUs), which give them larger base allowances under the rate structure.

After discussion about alternatives (targeted agricultural waivers, flashing speed/usage signs, or phased changes), Council member Dave Neff moved that the council continue the winter overage waiver for the coming winter; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. The motion directs staff to keep the current waiver in place for one more season and to return with options for future policy changes for the council's consideration.

The council's action keeps current billing rules unchanged for the winter months; staff said they will supply additional data and cost estimates if the council later decides to target waivers or change tier thresholds.