Sewer rate fix spells relief

After a massive protest by Colusa residents, city officials put into motion Tuesday a proposal for a new sewer rate that will replace a fee structure adopted just two months ago.

The new rate will affect residential customers only, and be less punishing to property owners with large landscaped yards, city officials said.

“Citizens made their voices be heard,” said City Manager Jan McClintock.

The new rate, if adopted, will be a base charge of $57.50 per month with a fixed monthly flow charge of $1.10 per hundred cubic feet of water, based on the customer’s average water use from the preceding winter months, when little or no water was applied to landscaping.

Catherine Hansford, senior economist for Eco Logic, the city’s wastewater consultant, said a typical household may see an increase of only a few dollars, while those with large landscaped yards will see a significant decrease from the sewer bills they received Oct. 1.
Customers with large lots converged on City Hall after their rates jumped from $60 a month to more than $200 under the new structure.

Hansford said she expects the rate of a typical household to jump from $66.43 per month to $68.84, while the typical large lot rate will decrease from $99.33 to $76.16. Attached units may jump from $59 to $65.

For residential customers who do not have the requisite three months of data to calculate an average, they will be billed on the average of all customers in their rate class, Hansford said.

Rates for commercial customers, schools and fairgrounds will remain as adopted Sept. 1.

The new rate structure, if approved, will meet new state mandates that require cities to “subscribe” to water conservation programs, will allow the city to repay the loan for the city’s new $17 million wastewater treatment plant, and allow the city to set money aside for future capital improvement, also a new state requirement, McClintock said.

The City Council directed McClintock to begin the public notice and hearing process required under Proposition 218.

Meanwhile, city officials said they are looking at other measures to provide rate and usage relief to residents, including applying for a $300,000 hardship grant, working on obtaining solar energy assistance, which could reduce operational expenses at the wastewater treatment plant, and working with the Colusa County Community Foundation to create a water conservation program that could help citizens reduce water usage.

Because the current rates adopted Sept. 1 met all Proposition 218 requirements, customers whose rates jumped significantly due to water usage during dry weather conditions, will not be eligible for a refund, according to Jake Knapp, city attorney.

The new rates won’t take affect until April 1.