Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Utility Rates topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Mariposa County officials defend utility-rate outreach after tense Coulterville meetings
Summary
Mariposa County officials said public meetings on a utility-rate study produced heated exchanges in Coulterville and other communities; county staff plan further outreach, including a May 28 Yosemite West meeting, and emphasized the study aims to close a projected multi-hundred-thousand-dollar gap.
Mariposa County leaders told residents May 19 that they will continue public engagement on a utility-rate study after recent town-hall meetings, some of which became loudly confrontational.
Shannon Hansen, Mariposa County public works director, said the county began outreach after the board directed staff to seek public input. “I will say that we did have conversations with Don Pedro and Coulterville and I will note that they did not go very well,” Hansen told the Board, adding that staff were “yelled at and cussed at” at some sessions but remained committed to the outreach.
Supervisor Poe and other board members praised Hansen and county staff for staying through difficult meetings. Poe said the Coulterville conversations included a small number of “very unruly” individuals but stressed the broader community’s concerns about rates and the risk that high costs could prompt residents to sell homes and leave ratepayer districts.
Residents who spoke during public comment echoed that fear. Michael Matheson told the board that many people in Coulterville are “scared” and “terrified” about the prospect of losing homes, and that such anxiety can make meetings hostile. Earlier county presentations show officials estimate the utility fund gap at roughly $600,000 this year and growing to more than $1 million next year if unaddressed.
County staff said the rate study process will continue with additional town halls and one-on-one meetings. Hansen said the county will return to Coulterville in 90 days and has scheduled a May 28 meeting with Yosemite West. The board and staff emphasized a desire for calmer, civil dialogue at future sessions so officials and residents can focus on options.
The county has not adopted any rate changes at this meeting; the discussion was framed as ongoing outreach and problem-solving rather than a final decision. Staff urged residents to attend the scheduled town halls and provide input so the board can consider rates, service levels and alternatives in a later agenda item.
The Board did not act on rate changes during the May 19 meeting; officials said next steps will include more community meetings and a return to the board with recommendations when analysis and public feedback are complete.
