CARLSBAD: Council to consider increasing water, sewer fees
Rancho Carlsbad drainage issue also on Tuesday's agenda
By BARBARA HENRY - Staff Writer | ∞
CARLSBAD --- Residents could see the cost of their water bills jump by 20 percent and sewer rates rise by 9 percent under rate increases that the Carlsbad City Council will consider Tuesday.
The proposed increases were initially discussed months ago during the approval process for the current fiscal year's budget, which the council adopted in June.
Public attention has mostly focused on the proposed water rate increase. In recent weeks, the city has received a series of protest letters, including some from unhappy seniors who say that Carlsbad is a wealthy community and doesn't need to generate more revenue for its water department.
"My monthly retirement check only stretches so far ... is it really necessary to cause such hardship to seniors living here?" wrote senior Mary Hill in a letter dated Aug. 6.
City officials said much of the rate increase is well beyond their control.
Carlsbad, like most of the county, gets its drinking water from the Colorado River and Northern California. The water is brought in by a system of aqueducts run by two regional water authorities. Those organizations have raised their fees, and the city is passing that cost along, Carlsbad's mayor has said.
Under the city's new fee proposal, the per-unit cost of water will increase from $1.68 to $2.12. In her letter to the city, Hill wrote that she uses the bare minimum of water for her condominium and expects the fee increase will add $4.19 to her monthly water bill.
Meanwhile, residential sewer rates are scheduled to increase from $16.20 to $17.65 a month, or $1.45.
The sewer rate increases will pay for new equipment and staff to help the city meet new state stormwater management requirements, city officials have said. The city is hiring three new full-time employees as well as a part-time person.
Those workers will handle extra construction site inspections and new public education programs on the importance of not dumping chemicals and other hazardous items into the city's storm drains.
In other action at Tuesday's meeting, the council will once again consider proposed revisions to the city's drainage master plan, a document that details how Carlsbad handles stormwater runoff. A council vote on that issue was delayed last month.
Residents of Rancho Carlsbad, a gated senior community in the city's northeastern region, have expressed a keen interest in that document ---- they are pushing the city to do more to solve flooding concerns in their neighborhood.
Many Rancho Carlsbad residents attended last month's council meeting and plan to "attend this meeting once again en masse," resident Bill Arnold said Friday.
Tuesday's meeting is set to start at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 1200 Carlsbad Village Drive. For an agenda and other documents, visit the city's Web site at: http://www.carlsbadca.gov/chall/4councilmtg.html.
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Tuck wrote on Sep 7, 2008 8:23 PM:Where does it all end? The city council must understand, if they vote for an increase in fees, we will vote them out. It is that simple. I look forward to the outcome of the vote. I would like to know how those running for city council would have voted.
Same as Vista wrote on Sep 8, 2008 6:37 AM:We also didn't want the increase but we got it, like it or not.
good ol carlsgood wrote on Sep 8, 2008 10:35 AM:Where is that carlsgood cheerleader touting the 40 million dollar surplus this fine city has and how great it is paying high taxes so they can put more in the bank. Great place to live- car lots, golf courses and high taxes.This place is a joke,.
all wet in carlsbad wrote on Sep 8, 2008 12:01 PM:"Rate increase is beyond their control." means the rate increase is a done deal. How about we use the desalination plant and provide cheap water to Carlsbad and pass the cost to everyone else.
carl is good wrote on Sep 8, 2008 2:12 PM:low crime, shileded form housing bubble, beautiful town, great weather, I don't mind paying a little more to water my grass, I love this place
Where is Jarvis wrote on Sep 8, 2008 3:02 PM:Proposition 218 requires charges to be proportional to services received. I am sure the City of Carlsbad has done a study showing the nexus between my water use and the amount of pollution/debris in the drainage basins in our community. Without this information I would expect we will be traveling the same slippery slope as Encinitas when they were challenged by the Howard Jarvis Association.
RAB wrote on Sep 8, 2008 4:43 PM:If you're not happy living in" good ol Carlsbad, There is aloy of other cities to live in.. Good luck with the move.
Prop wrote on Sep 8, 2008 6:39 PM:The storm drain charge comes under Prop 218. If they don't allow a vote, they can't charge.
Where is Jarvis wrote on Sep 9, 2008 7:06 AM:You missed the point, it is not legal to charge this fee even if you do have the protest vote. There needs to be proof of the connection between my water bill and the pollution in the drainage basin. There is no relationship between how much water I use and this stream pollution.
To RB wrote on Sep 15, 2008 11:49 AM:Huh? Who said that? With the rise in water fees, many 'good ol Carlsbad residents' can't pay the extra, so have stopped watering their once lush lawns and landscape. Drive down the streets and see how many brown, unkempt lawns and dead brush litter the view. Then, in the middle of the street is this house for sale; they've spent thousands installing synthetic turf, as advised to save water, go green! Now they have a job transfer and no buyer will even drive down their street to see their lush lawn and wonderful home. Once lovely Carlsbad, pride of ownership has gone to 'can't afford' the rising fees on EVERYTHING, not just water. Maybe your boss gave you a 20% raise this year (to cover the 20% water rate increase?)....Water should be FREE, but then so should health care. Nothing to do with your self-serving comment about wanting everyone to move out of Carlsbad.
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