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Board debates staged water-rate increases, special rates for golf course and storm-drain fee timing
Summary
Staff presented a water-rate study and a five-year increase scenario; the board asked the consultant to model alternatives (including 25% phased increases) and set public-notice timing to meet a possible March 1 effective date.
District staff presented a water-rate and impact-fee study and recommended beginning a staged increase on the water rate and implementing a storm-drain fee. The consultant’s June 2024 analysis underlies the proposals.
Manager Brett Palmer explained options: adopt the water-rate changes now and do a separate sewer hearing later, or wait and run both together. Directors debated the pace of increases — some favored a front-loaded jump to "catch up" while others favored smaller annual increases to lessen the immediate burden on fixed-income residents. One board member asked staff to run a scenario with 25% increases over the first three years instead of larger immediate jumps; staff agreed to produce those scenarios.
Directors also discussed special rates for the golf course (noting the current charge is 45¢ per thousand gallons and a 50¢ figure appears in the consultant spreadsheet) and wider questions about whether park irrigation costs should be subsidized by taxpayers. Staff said that, to meet a March 1 effective date, the board would need to notice public hearings in February; the board asked Lewis Young to prepare multiple rate schedules for the next meeting and, if necessary, hold a special meeting to meet noticing deadlines.
