Title
2024 Preliminary Utility Rates and Operating Budgets
Recommended Action/UAC Deliverable:
Review staff's briefing on preliminary utility rates and budget for 2024.
Issue:
Review 2024 preliminary utility rates (including LOTT), operating budgets and General Facility Charges (GFC, including LOTT). Forward UAC recommendations to City Council for review on October 18, 2023. UAC will also forward their recommendations to the City Council for review during their budget deliberations.
Staff Contact:
Gary Franks, Public Works Waste ReSources Director, 360.753.8780
Jesse Barham, Public Works Water Resources Director, 360.753.8164
Mike Vessey, Public Works Drinking Water Director, 360.753.8318
Presenters:
Same as above
Background and Analysis:
The Utility Advisory Committee reviews City utility finances, rates and general facilities charges annually. Staff will brief the UAC on the preliminary 2024 budgets, proposed rates, and general facility charges the Drinking Water, Wastewater, Storm and Surface Water, and Waste ReSources utilities.
City Utilities are expected to provide uninterrupted public health services for our community. Our responsibilities include ensuring that drinking water is healthy, sewer infrastructure safely conveys wastewater to the LOTT treatment facility, solid waste is managed for reuse or properly disposed, flooding is minimized, and our urban natural resources are protected. As municipal utilities, we must meet the needs of our community while maintaining and upgrading our increasingly aging infrastructure.
Utility staff focus on effectiveness and efficiency in the delivery of these services.
The City Utilities are municipal enterprise funds. They are financially self-supporting without the input of general tax funds. Conversely, Utility revenue does not support tax-based City programs. However, the Utilities pay a fair share of various City overhead costs (e.g., building mortgage, legal and executive services). Annual savings remain...
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