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Utilities rate advisers brief committee on FY28 planning, Proposition 218 process
Summary
City utilities staff told the PPE Committee the Utilities Rate Advisory Commission spent about $95,000 in 2025 and is preparing FY28 rate recommendations, proposing public outreach tied to the Proposition 218 process and earlier council briefings.
David Levine, long-range financial planning manager for the Department of Utilities, presented the 2025 Utilities Rate Advisory Commission (URAQ) annual report and the commission’s 2026 work plan to the PPE Committee, outlining steps toward FY28 rate recommendations.
Levine said URAQ held six meetings in 2025 and that the commission’s work in 2025 cost approximately $95,000. The report documents presentations on infrastructure needs, deferred maintenance, debt management and initial steps for a water and wastewater rate study that will support FY28 rate-setting.
Levine described a planned outreach and engagement timeline: staff will seek URAQ feedback on messaging, hold council member briefings beginning in April, and work with the Community Engagement Office and a consultant to reach hard-to-reach communities. He said staff will present recommended financial plans and proposed rates in June and conduct Proposition 218 hearings in December.
Vice Chair Lisa Kaplan welcomed earlier community outreach and asked staff to tailor messaging by district; Levine said a survey had been circulated and the outreach plan should be ready within a month. The committee voted to forward the URAQ annual report and 2026 work plan to the City Council for review.
Next steps: staff will finalize outreach materials, present recommended rates in June and return to council for the Proposition 218 hearing later in the year.
