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CC 2019-12-10 Items Rec'd at Mtg. \L\\O\\\ PSI • cv.3. Q u),til ot-Y I am here to speak to the city council on the proposed water rate increase that may be discussed at the January 14th,2020 city council meeting. During the drought of 2014 the citizens of Arroyo Grande were asked to reduce their water usage.A tiered water rate system was devised in August 2014. Basically if you used more water you paid a bigger water bill. On top of this a penalty would be applied to each household if the household did not conserve a proper percentage of water. All of this is listed in the minutes of the August 26,2014 meeting. In May of 2015 a Stage 1 water emergency was declared. The citizens of Arroyo Grande were advised to begin to save water otherwise the City of Arroyo Grande may be fined by the State for not conserving water The Citizens of Arroyo Grande responded by saving more than 28%in water usage. In August of 2016 the water usage penalties were set back to zero. The citizens of Arroyo Grande still conserved water. Because water usage went down so drastically the amount of income generated for the water department due to less water usage dropped b $50� 0 dollars. The tiered water system was still in place, but the citizens were used to using less water. The only y the water department could get this$500,000 dollars back is by the City Council increasing the water rates by 11%. A component of the rate increase was the City Council advising the Citizens of Arroyo Grande that the rate increase would be effect til June 30,2019.Effective June 30,2019 the water rates would go back to the 2014 levels. Are the 2014 levels including rate changes as follows: 1%in Fiscal Year 2014-2105,2%in Fiscal Year 2015-16 and 3%each year for Fiscal years 2016-17 through 2018-19.Or does the just does the 11%surcharge to the current water rates disappear(the 11%was adopted by the City Council in August of 2016). My question to the current City Council is what has happened since June 30, 2019 and now to cause a consideration to increase in the water rates again in 2020. Is there still a decrease in water consumption by the constituents of Arroyo Grande, If so what is that percentage decrease?What does this percentage decrease equal in terms of dollars the water fund may be in shortfall? Is this shortfall money needed for the water fund infrastructure? Is there a shortfall still with the sewage fund also? Or does the 10%increase in sewage rate remain in effect from August 2016 and did not disappear on June 30, 2019?According to the August 9,2016 City Council report the Sewer Fund revenue is performing less than initially projected due to the reduction in water consumption. From this statement I assume if water consumption does not increase than not only we have a water fund shortfall but a sewage fund shortfall also? At this time, until these questions can be answered properly the City of Arroyo Grande should not be looking to increase the water or sewage rates again. I highly suggest a Prop 218 notice occurs with the proposed rate increases and the basis for it is mailed to the property owners and tenants by the City of Arroyo Grande. This Prop 218 notice should include a protest form and sent prior to the January 14, 2020 meeting. A protest is going to occur either way, but by mailing out the Prop 218 protest notice and form will make it easier for those who are affected, "The Citizens of Arroyo Grande".These protest forms have to be sent regardless so what's one more form to send out? Think of how much more the City Council could make this process more"transparent". This process would "engage'the public. Isn't this what the current City Council wants?Transparency???? If I may approach the City Council, I have a copy of a protest form that can be used. If for some legal issue that I may not be aware of, precluding the city of arroyo grande from sending out such form,can I request and obtain from the City of Arroyo Grande the APN number and billed water customer associated with that APN number?This information would be used for the Prop 218 protest. k Proposition 218 Protest Vote I, [insert name of person on water bill or property owner] submit this protest vote to oppose the proposed rate increase by on behalf of the [insert the name of your water provider] following property: [Insert address or parcel number of property] [Insert address or parcel number of additional property] Signed, [Sign here] [Insert Date] [Print name of person on water bill or property owner] Remember to make a copy for your own records after you fill this out.