City Council approves sewer fee increase

BARSTOW • The City Council voted Tuesday night to move forward with a sewer fee increase, although some councilmembers are considering a more gradual fee increase than was originally suggested.

The suggested fee increase will increase residential rates from $15 a month to $23.50 starting in April, with a $2 increase each year until the rates are $31.50 in 2015. A majority protest was needed in order to stop the fee increase from proceeding, but only about 10 percent of residents had sent in formal letters of protest by the end of the public hearing.

The City Council voted on three different items as part of the fee increase. An immediate fee increase, which would have gone into effect Wednesday was rejected 2-3, with Mayor Joe Gomez, Mayor Pro Tem Julie Hackbarth-McIntyre and Councilman Tim Saenz dissenting. The City Council then voted 4-1 — with  Gomez dissenting — to increase the fees, with a second reading taking place on March 7 and final adoption of the rate increase in April.

The final vote was also 4-1 — with Gomez dissenting again — to approve an amendment to the way fees are charged to new sewage system hookups. The new amendment will not change the amount of the charge — $1,500 per residential unit — but will change the formula used to calculate the rates, which will increase the costs based on the volume of waste produced.

Residents at the meeting were upset because the city has been considering increasing rates for about a year but did not bring the matter to the public’s attention until the rate study had been finalized. Residents were also upset that the city wanted to enact the increased fees immediately without bringing it back for a second reading.

“I can’t believe they’ve been working on this for a year,” said Art Gonzalez, a Barstow property owner.

Gomez said Wednesday that he thinks the city needs to increase the rates, but the increase should be more gradual such as 10 to 12 percent each year, instead of the suggested 60 percent increase this year. Councilman Willie Hailey also said he would like to consider an option that would gradually increase rates. Councilman Tim Silva said he is willing to look at a more gradual increase, but hoped that it wouldn’t lead to a delay in paying off debt that will be due at the end of the fiscal year.

If the debt is not paid off, the city’s credit rating could fall and there could be an additional cost of $2.18 million in interest fees, said Finance Director Terri Willoughby.

Some residents had previously suggested taking money out of other city funds in order to pay for sewer improvements, but city staff said it was important to use the general fund for things like public safety and that the wastewater fund should be able to support itself and fund its own improvements. The hospital fund — which has $17.44 million in it — is also important to keep in reserve because a decision has not been made yet about the old hospital, said City Manager Curt Mitchell.

Some residents said at the meeting that they would have problems paying the increase in fees and feared that many of Barstow’s residents who live on fixed incomes would also have problems paying the higher bills every other month.

“You’re asking the public to pay for mismanagement, in my opinion,” said Don DeHart, a Barstow resident who passed around letters of protest that residents could complete at the meeting.

City staff suggested some ways to make the rate increase more affordable for residents, including applying for utility assistance through the United Way and the option of paying the bill each month instead of every other month.

Councilmembers were apologetic to residents, but said the rate increase would have to be put in place.

“We’re trying to do the proper management,” said Silva. “We’re trying to fix the infrastructure.”

Contact the writer:
(760) 256-4122 or kjonas@desertdispatch.com