Title
Review Proposed Utility Rates
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Develop recommendation to forward to full Council.
City Manager Recommendation:
Review the 2015 Utility rate proposals and recommend the proposed rates to City Council for final review during budget deliberations.
Report
Issue:
Utility rates are considered annually as part of the Council's budget deliberations, with advance review and a recommendation from the Finance Committee.
Staff Contact:
Dan Daniels, Public Works Waste ReSources Director, 360.753.8780
Andy Haub, Public Works Water Resources Director, 360.753.8475
Presenter(s):
Dan Daniels, Public Works Waste ReSources Director, 360.753.8780
Andy Haub, Public Works Water Resources Director, 360.753.8475
Background and Analysis:
The proposed 2015 Utility rates focus on maintaining existing service levels and ensuring stable revenue. Emphasis is placed on minimizing rate increases while ensuring that essential Utility services are provided reliably and without interruption. Potential expenditures have been reduced and inflationary increases in costs absorbed in order to lessen rate increases.
2015 Rate Proposals
Storm & Surface Water Utility: 3% rate increase proposed
The proposed 2014 Storm and Surface Water Utility budget maintains current services. It seeks to meet the expectations in our community for flood mitigation, water quality improvement, and aquatic habitat enhancement as well as the regulatory requirements of the NPDES (National Pollution Discharge Elimination System) Phase II permit.
The proposed 3% rate increase covers a revenue shortfall of approximately $78,000. With the proposed rate increase, single family residences would see a $0.48 bi-monthly increase in their storm and surface water rates. Single family and duplex storm and surface rates in 2014 are $22.88 bi-monthly.
The proposed budget incorporates various inflationary increases and several regulatory requir...
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