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Advisory committee asks city for prior rate‑study scope and current rate resolutions ahead of FY26 RFP
Summary
As the city prepares an RFP for a FY26 rate study, the Utility Advisory Committee voted unanimously to request the previous study scope and the current rate resolutions (electric, water, sewer) so members can advise on the next study’s scope, cost‑of‑service questions, and equity concerns for multifamily and commercial classes.
The committee focused extensive discussion on the scope and timing of the city's next rate study, which staff said the city plans to advertise in early FY26 (around July) with a consultant engagement of roughly nine months and potential new rates effective in FY27. Members stressed the need for the next RFP to include a robust examination of service charges, cost‑of‑service allocation among residential, commercial and multifamily classes, and whether the last study’s scope had omitted specific equity questions raised by the committee.
"If the study determines that we need to change the rate structure, then we will," the budget manager said, clarifying that the city is not locked into any particular outcome and that the specific RFP scope will determine what the consultant can analyze. Committee members argued that prior scopes, actuals and the most current rate resolutions must be circulated to the committee before April so members can propose scope changes and target known inequities (for example, multifamily billing and the commercial first‑tier thresholds discussed in the meeting).
A motion was made, seconded and passed unanimously asking staff to provide the committee with the prior rate‑study scope and the most current rate resolutions for electric, water and sewer. Members asked staff to circulate those documents by the April meeting and to have finance and other staff available then to walk the committee through the city’s rate‑model assumptions and the budget‑to‑actuals that will feed the RFP.
