CC_Minutes_2012_1203 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

Regular City Council Meeting Monday, December 03, 2012 Page 25 Discussion ensued on the rate structure and various tier options and impacts; with Council consideration of whether to take action tonight, to take action at the December 10, 2012 meeting, or defer action to January of 2013 depending on the City Council's need, if any, of additional information before they were comfortable making a decision. At the request of Mayor Roe, Mr. Miller advised that, based on legislative ac- tion taken during the last session, cities were no longer required to have conser- vation rates in place, as long as they could prove an overall reduction in aggre- gate water usage, which had been the case in Roseville over the last few years. Mayor Roe noted that this occurred even in drought years; and Mr. Miller re- sponded that the data indicated to him that the City truly didn't have a lot of wa- ter usage, but noted that this could also be due to the City not having a signifi- cant number of irrigation systems in place at this time. Mayor Roe noted that one notion of a conservation rate structure would be that all customers pay the same rate and if you use more water, you pay more. Mayor Roe questioned if the City Council was making this more complicated than necessary, especially in consideration of the limited impact to rate payers. Councilmember McGehee noted her personal experience in living in communi- ties that often paid $8.00 per thousand gallons, and the rate structure did make a difference. Councilmember McGehee opined that the biggest reason for reduc- tion in water usage was due to the loss of multiple family members, based on the current Roseville demographic with households now at 1-2 members only. Mayor Roe noted that the City's population had only changed by thirty (30) people in the last ten (10) years. Councilmember McGehee responded that households with young children had dropped. Mayor Roe responded in turn that while family size may be shifting around, he found it difficult to be persuaded that because a family may have more mem- bers, even if using less water, that they should be penalized. Councilmember Johnson concurred completely with Mayor Roe's comments. Councilmember Pust suggested staff bring this rate adjustment discussion and decision to the new City Council in 2013 to address, since they would be re- sponsible for implementing and administering any utility rate adjustments upon coming into office.