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Paso Robles residents protest water rate hikes 

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The increase is 53.7 percent over the next five years

–On Nov. 18, 2014 the Paso Robles City Council authorized the preparation and update of the city’s water and sewer rates and water facility charges. An analysis of water rates and facility charges found that the fund’s cash balance is lower than projected due to previous delays in adopting rates, overall community water conservation, and significantly lower water sales in response to the drought. Without a water rate increase, the fund would go broke by fiscal year 2022-23, according to the analysis. On November 4, 2015, the Paso Robles City Council voted to increase water service rates and to start notifying residents.

Some Paso Robles water users are up in arms about the proposed rate increases. Paso Robles resident Keith Entwistle said, “The increase is an astounding 53.7 percent over the next five years.” Entwistle also said that residents are upset about the limitations the city council has placed on how city water users can protest the rate increase. “Though we are in the year 2016, they refuse to allow electronic conveyed protest responses,” said Entwistle.

In January, city property owners and tenants were sent a second notice of a public hearing regarding the proposed increases. The hearing is March 15 at 6:30 pm at the City of Paso Robles Council Chambers, 1000 Spring Street. The second notice was sent to correct a discrepancy in the water rate increase originally provided in November 2015. The hearing date had to be rescheduled as a result of the November error.

The January notice proposes adding an additional fixed-rate fee to consumption-based rate increases starting in January 2017 and continuing through 2021. The initial fixed-rate is $5 per month beginning in 2017 and increases to $10 a month by the fifth year. Consumption-based usage charges are calculated on a per unit basis. One unit of water equals 100 cubic feet (HCF) of water or 748 gallons. The January notice includes the following sample bill:

Sample Water Bills Under Proposed Rates

Sample water bill from the January 21 Notice of Public Hearing, page 3.

Entwistle said these consumption-based increases start with a 13 percent increase in January 2017. January 2018 and 2019 add two more increases at 9 percent each followed by 7 percent increases each for 2020 and 2021. “When you do the math the increases total 53.7 percent over the five year term and this is coming off another five years where the increases were barely acceptable,” said Entwistle. The last water rate increase in Paso Robles was in January 2012.

Another city resident, Debbie J. Mullins, has organized “Citizens Against Raising Water Rates in the City of Paso Robles,” to collect signatures to present at the March 15 hearing.  “We are not happy that the city is not accepting email protest letters from residents so our only choice is collect signatures and get the word out for people to sign the petition or deliver a letter to city hall.” said Mullins. The notice sent by the city in January stated, “Any protest submitted via email or other electronic means will not be accepted.” Mullins said it is important for anyone who pays a water bill in the city to turn in a signed protest and to show for the public hearing. Anyone who receives a water bill in their name can sign and does not have to be a registered voter.

When Mullins attended the January 19 city council meeting and challenged the city’s restriction on allowing email for protesting, she said that Mayor Steve Martin agreed with her request but Councilman Fred Strong opposed the idea. Mullins said Strong stated, “What’s to stop somebody from sending email after email after email and how are we going to verify what computer they came from?”

Mullins states that the money collected from the last rate increase was supposed to take care of the infrastructure problems. “They have not done what was promised with the last giant chunk of money they had their hands on and we have to hold them accountable. “

City resident Anamaria Unger said, “I have already paid to have the infrastructure to pipe water from Lake Nacimiento and those pipes have not solved any problems. In fact, they have needed repairs and have never really delivered what they promised. When is enough, enough?”

Entwistle and Mullins have both stated the city error by sending the first water rate notification cards with the wrong rates was a costly mistake to be carried by taxpayers. According to Paso Robles Public Works Director Dick McKinley, there were several drafts of the rates circulating in the office, as city staff was working on getting the rates as low as possible. Somehow the wrong draft got sent out, according to McKinley. When the city realized their error, they rescheduled the protest hearing for March 15, to give citizens ample time to understand the new rates, and submit written protest. Printing and mailing costs are estimated to cost the city $5,600.

Mullins plans on presenting the petition signatures at the public hearing on March 15. She is looking for volunteers to help her collect signatures and to get people to the meeting. “Owners and tenants responsible for paying the bills are eligible to protest. Majority rules. Get your voice heard, write out your statement and deliver it or better yet, come be heard at the council meeting and keep our water rates where they are. If you are going to speak you still have to have a written signed opposition letter. All written statements must be turned in before public comments end that night.” According to the public notice of the hearing, “Oral comments at the Public Hearing will not qualify as formal protests unless accompanied by a written protest.”

To sign the petition, volunteer to circulate petitions, or for more information, contact Mullins by email at refusetopaymore@yahoo.com. Mullins would also like to hear from others who have already sent their protest letters to the city.

Public Works Director Dick McKinley said over 12,000 rate increase notices were mailed to property owners and tenants who are designated to be responsible for utility billing. McKinley issued the following written statement regarding the number of signatures needed to defeat the rate increase:

The City would have to receive 50 percent plus 1 valid written protest by the time of the public hearing on March 15 for the City to be unable under Prop 218 to not adopt the proposed rates.  Valid protests must be in writing, stating that they protest the water rates, and signed by the person responsible for the bill (typically the property owner).  Only one protest for each property is allowed, and unsigned protests don’t count.  At last count we had received 123 protests, but have not yet verified them as meeting the requirements.  It would take more than 5,000 protests for the City to do the full verification process and to determine if the Prop 218 standard was met.

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About the author: Reporter Jackie Iddings

Jackie Iddings is a contributing reporter and photographer for the Paso Robles Daily News.