City sends out incorrect water rate increase notices, reschedules hearing
Protest hearing rescheduled to March 15
–A protest hearing that was scheduled to happen at the Jan. 19 at the Paso Robles City Council meeting has been rescheduled to March 15. The reason for the change of date is that the city sent out water rate notification cards showing the wrong projected cost of water rates. The proposed rates are actually a few cents per unit less than what was detailed on the notices.
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.
If adopted, the proposed new rates would take effect January 1, 2017, with annual increases thereafter through January 1, 2021.
The Paso Robles Public Works Department has created the following sample charts that detail the potential increases:
Any record owner of a parcel upon which the water rates are proposed for imposition and any tenant directly liable for the payment of water rates may submit a written protest to the proposed rate increases to the city’s water rates; provided, however, that only one written protest will be counted per identified parcel. Written protests must contain all of the following:
- State that the identified property owner or tenant is in opposition to the proposed increases to the water rates
- Provide the location of the identified parcel (by street address or assessor’s parcel number
- Include the name and signature of the property owner or tenant submitting the protest
Written protests may be submitted by mail or in person to
Attn: Public Hearing on Water Rate Increases
Paso Robles City Clerk
1000 Spring Street, Paso Robles, CA 93446
or at the public hearing on March 15, provided they are received prior to the close of the public hearing.
Any protest submitted via e-mail or other electronic means will not be accepted.
