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City of Poway
MEMORANDUM
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL
(Agenda Related Writings/Documents provided to City Council or Staff after distribution of the
Agenda Packet for the January 8, 2019 Special Council Meeting)
DATE: January 7, 2019
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
FROM: Tina White, City Manager �V � `Vv
r
CONTACT: Wendy Kaserman, Assistant City Manager
(858) 668-4502 or wkaserman(aipoway.org
Donna Goldsmith, Director of Finance
(858) 668-4411 or dgoldsmith(a)poway.org
SUBJECT: Recommendations for Water and Sewer Rate Adjustments
The attached documents are correspondence received from the public as of Monday January 7,
2019.
1 of 5 January 8, 2019, Item # 1
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL
Donna Goldsmith
From: Elaine Gillum <mrsg9064@aol.com>
Sent: Wednesday, January 2, 2019 11:56 AM
To: Steve Vaus; Dave Grosch; Caylin Frank; Barry Leonard; John Mullin
Cc: Donna Goldsmith
Subject: Water / sewer rate concerns
Attachments: Water Letter to City CouncilGillum.pdf
Good Morning, and Happy New Year council members and Donna,
Attached please find a letter concerning the proposed and current water rates.
1 am being pro -active for the workshop in voicing my concerns about the inequity of the current and proposed water and
sewer rate structure, and hope that this inequity can be corrected for 2019.
Respectfully submitted,
Elaine Palmer -Gillum
2 of 5 January 8, 2019, Item # 1
January 2, 2019
Dear Poway Mayor and City Council members,
In preparation for our Water Workshop I wanted to present my water bill for your study.
In October/November 2018 my home used 4 units of water. That's to be expected since we were home for less than 5 days
during those 2 months. That said, my $20.52 of actual water used billed at a total of $134.00 for water and sewer.
Yes, you read that right, 6.5 times what the was the real cost for water: $42 to bring me $20 of water, and $71 to take that
$20 of used water away. I do understand 'infrastructure costs" but isn't this a bit excessive?
Since the "new proposed rates have been published, I've updated what my bill will be and why I am greatly opposed to it.
Based on the proposed 2019 rates, those 4 units of water: $21.34 will now cost $42.28 (basic service) to bring me and
because I am still considered a Tier 2 user, will cost $73.52 to take it away.
This totals $137.14 for 4 units of water, or a real cost of $34.29 for each unit of water I used.
Of ALL the populations here in Poway, why is a group of low usage citizens, made up of fixed income senior
citizens, young couples or 2 person families with no yard to water, being charged the most? This low usage group continues
to be forced to subsidize the higher water users. WHY? Those at the smallest amount of water, pay over 2 times per unit of
water as compared to those using 20 times the amount of water.
For a direct comparison of water rates, the city of San Diego charges the following based on monthly usage:
0 - 4 HCF used are billed at $4.946 per HCF. (0-8 for 2 months)
5 -12 HCF used are billed at $5.540 per HCF. (9-24 for 2 months)
13 -18 HCF used are billed at $7.915 per HCF. 25-36 for 2 months)
Each HCF used after the initial 18 HCF is billed at $11.130 per HCF. (36+)
Poway's 2018 bimonthly rates are $5.13 /unit plus a $.75 surcharge = $5.86 per unit for 1-199 units.
Poway's 2019 proposed rates are: $5.36 per unit for 1-199 units
For Sewer charges, Poways tiered pricing schedule, based on a 3 year average, is not like any other pricing in San
Diego or Orange County. Residents are stuck at a tier, regardless if their water usage decreases, for 3 years. This pricing
makes absolutely no sense except to penalize, for an additional 3 years, those water conservers, before lower costs occur.
By that time (3 years later) there has been 3 rate increases, plus and one higher month, ruins the overall average and any
savings is lost. In 2019, the proposed commodity rate will increase by 3.25% ($20.67 to $21.34).
My actual "tier 1 usage" for this billing is NOT used, my 3 year average is, and that places me at tier 2 ($52.54).
Once again, those that produce the least amount of sewer water are, priced the highest.
Tier 1: $28.61 (up to 5 units: 5.72/unit) 4.6 times the rate of Tier 7 For2019: $29.54: $5.91/unit (at 5 units)
Ter 2: $50.48 (up to 12 units: 4.21/unit) 3.4 times the rate of Tier 7 For 2019: $52.12: $4.34/unit (at 12 units)
Tier 3: $75.98 (up to 19 units: 3.99/unh) 3.2 times the rate of Tier 7 For 2019: $78.45: $4.13
Ter 4: $83.28 (up to 26 units: 3.20/unit)
Tier 5-.$97.86 (up to 37 units; 2.65/unit)
Ter 6: $112.44 (up to 50 units: 2.24/unit)
Ter 7: $123.38 (up to 51+ using 99 units:1.25(unit) For 2019; $127.39: $1.291Unit (at 99 units)
With the new 2019 pricing, I'll pay: $73.46 total or $18.37 to take away each of those 4, $5.36 water units.
If everyone pays the same for a unit of water, why is everyone NOT paying the same for that water going into the sewer?
WHY is a 3 year average used, instead of ACTUAL sewer amount used?
WHY do the highest water users get the least expensive pricing? To be equitable, please consider increasing the water cost
and using THAT number as the foundation for the rate structure, and lowering the service charges. My 4 units of water are
not going to cause the infrastructure to need repair at the same rate someone using 20 or 30 times the amount of water will.
Charge for the water and lower the service costs for everyone.
Every year when the "new" water rates are proposed, folks write letters with their concerns. However, 30 letters
from citizens is not enough to yield any changes. It has to start and finish with a city council that cares about ALL their
citizens, not just those that use the most water. I am hopeful that the current city council will consider equalizing the costs
so that they are a more fair charge to all water users.
Respectfully submitted,
Elaine Palmer-Gilium
3 of 5 January 8, 2019, Item # 1
From:
Mary Vedbom
To:
Daye Grosch
Subject:
water rates!
Date:
Friday, January 4, 2019 1:25:10 PM
Hi Dave,
It me again. This time I figured your city email was the one to use!
I am very concerned about our water and sewer rates. As I understand it now, we have
uniform water rates for less than 200 units, but tiered sewer rates. No other city in San Diego
county has water and sewer charges like this.
We appear to have 2 charges on our bill for sewer, a fixed rated and a tiered charge.
There is a single sewer rate for all other commodities except single family homes. Churches,
schools, apartments etc. all have a fixed charge. Single family homes pay between $2.41 and
$26.61 for their sewer use when their tiered charges are converted into real rates. The lower
rate is for homeowners using 51 units of wintertime water and the higher rate for someone
using 1 unit of wintertime water. This does not make sense!!
I know in 2006 the council decided to keep the tiered system even after a study was done
finding problems with it. Our North Poway contingency convinced the council that their
excess water use was probably not going into the sewer, therefore they should have a
discounted sewer rate. If the city uses the same formula to figure out winter water usage for
everyone, why would they give an additional discount to the biggest water users?
Our water/sewer bills are not the actual costs to provide water and sewer service to each home
as they should be! Schools, churches and condos all have a wintertime water use calculation.
And they have real sewer rates! Shouldn't individual homeowners have the same right?
I'm counting on you to represent the people in your district, look into this situation, and speak
up against this injustice!
Sincerely,
Mary Vedborg
5 Of 5 January 8, 2019, Item # 1