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Commissioners press staff on funding: connection fees, grants and rates discussed
Summary
Commissioners asked how the multimillion-dollar CIP will be paid; staff said Category 1 projects are prioritized in the first five years, the city is conducting an impact/connection fee study to set connection fees, a rough financial analysis shows urgent projects could be funded from current district balances in the near term, and staff will pursue grants where eligible.
Commissioners pressed staff for funding details after the master plan presentation, citing the plan's multi-million-dollar scope. Commissioner Mendez asked bluntly: "77,000,000 is a lot of money for these improvements. Are the city planning on going after state and federal grants? Are they planning on increasing rates, you know, the rate pay for each homeowner?" (speaker 8).
Public Works Director Hamza Javed said the plan prioritizes the most urgent Category 1 projects for completion in roughly the first five years and that the city is conducting an impact/connection fee study to determine the connection fee amount. He said a rough financial analysis included in the plan illustrates how the district's current fund balance could cover some urgent projects in the first five years and that staff will seek grant opportunities as projects are advanced. "Once the plan is adopted by the board, we will have a sort of a road map to seek out certain grant funds that meet... the criteria of the projects," Javed said.
Staff also clarified that current homeowner rates are separate from the connection/impact fee process and that rate changes would be addressed through separate processes tied to the tax/utility roll and rate-setting procedures.
