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Sutter County delays sewer shutoffs in Waterworks District 1 and approves budget cleanup
Summary
The Board of Supervisors, sitting as Waterworks District No. 1, approved budget cleanups and authorized collection efforts for delinquent wastewater accounts but voted 3–2 to delay termination notices until Jan. 1 to avoid imposing shutoffs during the December holidays.
The Sutter County Board of Supervisors on Nov. 18, acting as Waterworks District No. 1, approved a corrective budget adjustment and a plan to collect long‑overdue wastewater charges, but delayed issuing termination notices until Jan. 1 after several supervisors voiced concern about holiday impacts.
Neil Hay, presenting for the district, said staff identified past‑due wastewater accounts and proposed sending 15‑day notices followed by 48‑hour notices before terminating service. He described administrative steps and operational measures to disable step tanks if accounts remain unpaid, warning that disabling septic/sewer connectivity could render a residence uninhabitable and prompt building‑inspection red tagging. "If we don't receive [payment] after the 15‑day notice is issued, then at 48 hours before the termination period ... we would be forced to terminate your sewer service," Hay said.
The board first approved adjustments to the Waterworks District 1 budget — net appropriations increased by $114,583 for FY 2023–24 and $5,647 for FY 2024–25 — to correct year‑end items and account for professional services tied to state‑mandated system operations. That motion passed on a roll call with unanimous support.
Supervisor Carm Baines moved the collection plan forward, but Supervisor Jet Boone later proposed delaying any termination notices until Jan. 1 to avoid placing additional pressure on families over the holidays. The board took separate roll‑call action on Boone's motion to delay; the vote was Boone Aye, Flores No, Ziggermeyer Aye, Baines Aye, Stevens No — the motion carried 3–2.
Board members stressed staff will continue outreach and offer 12‑ to 18‑month payment plans. Hay said the user fee for the district remains $103.50 per month and noted the district has used payment plans in the past, with mixed completion rates. He also described a longer‑term sewer mains reconstruction estimate of about $4,000,000 and the need for grant funding to cover engineering design costs.
The board’s delay means staff will hold off on sending notices until after the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, with notices expected in early December only if the board revisits the timing; the board formally set the hold on terminations to Jan. 1. The board then adjourned the Waterworks District meeting and reconvened as the Board of Supervisors.
