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Hayward Council adopts year-round irrigation-meter billing (Ordinance 763)
Summary
The Hayward City Council approved Ordinance 763 to spread irrigation-meter charges across 12 months — reducing the monthly rate but billing year-round — and clarified that meters left off will not be billed until reactivated; the ordinance passed 4-0 on its second reading.
The Hayward City Council on May 13 adopted Ordinance 763, changing how the city bills irrigation meters by moving from a six-month $12.57 monthly charge to a year-round $6.29 monthly service charge. The change is designed to simplify billing and reduce staff time spent turning irrigation meters on and off.
City staff told the council the proposal creates no net cost increase for customers; the charge is simply spread over 12 months rather than concentrated in six. During the public hearing a resident asked whether meters that have not been used for years will be billed. Staff responded that meters that remain turned off will not be charged until the owner requests service; a $30 disconnect fee and a $3 reconnect fee apply when customers ask the city to remove or later restore service.
The council took the matter up for a second reading after closing the public hearing and approved the ordinance in a roll-call vote, 4-0. Staff estimated there are "over a couple hundred" irrigation meters in the city that could be affected; exact counts were not specified during the meeting. The council and staff emphasized the change will reduce billing confusion for office staff and avoid recurring physical meter turn-offs and turn-ons.
The ordinance shifts routine administrative work and is effective according to the city's standard ordinance-adoption schedule. Questions about individual account status and fees were directed to city staff for customer-specific clarification.
