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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1991-10-23; Ad Hoc - Water Commission; MinutesMINUTES Meeting oft WATER COMMISSION Date of Meeting: October 23, 1991 (Regular Meeting) Time of Heeting: 2100 p.m. place of Meeting: 5950 ~1 cemino Real COMMISSIONERS CALL TO ORDER: Chairman Maerkle called the Meeting to order at 2:OO p.m. ROLI.: commissioners Present: Maeekle, ona as, Greer, Henley and Woodward. Absent: None. PLEDQE OF WEGI~CE wae led by commissioner Aanley. -: There were no requests to address the Commission on a non-agenda item. -: Discussion of the Inclining Block Water Rate Structure. Bob Greaney reported that this item was discussed to the Board of Directors regarding the inclining at the Council Meeting last night and a report ma< water rate structure and the issue of the monies received to date through the penalty assessments. The Board discussed this matter and referred it tc this Commission for review and recommendations to the Board of Directors regarding any changes or what to do with the monies generated to date. revisions to the program and some direction as to Geoff Pwle summarized the procedures for today's meeting, stating that any members of the public could address the Commission first. He would list the several alternatives developed. and then the Commission could look at those alternatives from i general prospective and make initial Comments. From those comments, Staff would bring back detailed analyses of the alternatives at the next Commission meeting. Anne Mauch. CO-Founder of PROJECT FUTURE, a "on- profit citizens' organization, stated that since rates imposed and the allocations for single famii this Commission did not favor the inclining block with its decision in the past. This Commission residences. she hoped this Commission would stay single family residences and expanding the system recornvended against the district-wide average for to other residences, such as duplexes and apartments. Mrs. Mauch stated that FUTURE would hope that this Commission recommend9 to the Board to eliminate tl residences or some alternative other than the district-wide allocation for single family district-wide average for their category. r MINUTES r- I " 1 October 23, 1991 WATER COMMISSION Page 2 C NEW BUSINESS: (Continued) nrs. Mauch said that Olivenhain District has a until the user fails to conserve 20 percent. system where the high block rates don't come in re. Mauch said the first choice would be to end the district-wide system altogether. H~S. Mauch stated that the block rats system actually resulted in a change in conservation habits of single family residents--as they are not saving as much now as before. The number one factor in that is perception of fairness, and the residents are perceiving this system as manifestly unfair and that it discourages "getting with the problem". She said that if people can afford to Pa the high rates, they do not conserve. and the purpose is to motivate conservation. commercial and industrial users can work the rates into their budget and the affluent families will not lose their landscaping. The small people on fixed incomes are the ones that are unfairly affected, and they are the segment of the population least able to pay. Commissioner Greer stated he did not believe that was a finding, as the lower inmrne citizens are more affluent people. because they are attuned to less educated and harder to communicate with. Thf saving money, do not buy things or pay for things at a premium, whereas the people at the other end of the scale will. Mrs. Mauch said that her group recommended that tt block rate be reserved for those people who fail t did in the base year. A public workshop would be conserve--especially those who use more than they recommended to reaffirm the old policy of treatiq all users equally. If outdoar watering is to be courses, business parks, and homeowners curtailed, then all users should be, including go: associations'landscaping. As to the distribution of the accumulated penalty every dollar paid by single tamily residents who funds, PROJECT FUTURE strongly recommends rebatins succeeded in conserving 20 percent or wre. This the money, and Mrs. Mauch recommended a reserve bf would only aocount for approximately 25 percent 01 set aside in case the voluntary system does not the city. If the block rate is used for those whc succeed and there are penalties assessed against exceed their quota, there will be income and them should be money spent far public education and motivation. All revenues and interest should be kept for a conservation program. This money shoul not be mixed with development money. If the peopl think this is a way to build up money to pay for part of the developers' share of new facilities, you will lose them as far as conservation. IMISSIONERS MINUTES 7- -8 (Continued) Diqo plan initlativ. .I far am it to Mrs. Hauch pave a copy of a mection of the 8an water, for 8 rncomendltion to the City Council. mnd not the Water Uoard. Sh. stated thu. ahoull be no net inereare in water use, no nmI deWloprd water us., with an explamtion .. to ha thio c.1 approved to incemase rAtam, and no now damand fol bo done without etoppinp developent. envy the E-immion It, job. 8h. felt thm prmmsr Leone Stein, Baaawod Avenue, ltlted .b. did not had Creatmi a proat de81 of angar. us. stain syetsm for single tmlly roeldmntn was untalr an< socornended returning to the method of prcontagl cutback which WAO in effect at firat, u ah #ai< aha who highly motivated under that Bymtem. Tho1 muat be a ChAllengO to cut back water use-with that ohallengo a9ain.t your own behavior. nr6. stein said hor family wa. not the vory poor nor thm very rlch--bur the middle clans. whlch dc feel tha pinch for tha insreAmd cost of water. She mid the nmw eyncmrn In a mvore penalty for 1 tho other mymtom. family and she etrongly recomnendsd ~~in9 back tl Comlnm~onmr Oemmr ntatmd that the mnhe that hi been collected undo? the penalties 1. set asIda I Ceneral hmd. is roeerve and not in the Capital Fund or the ne. Pool. Iistod th. a1tsmatlv.m tor -nditur( of the mlneinp funds, as follow#: 1. Water Conamrvmtion and RIblLe Inrorsation 2. Cust0m.r senrice 3. Watmr Rmsourcm Dwmlopnent 4. Rat0 atabili~ation rupd 5. Renervea 6. Refund to Cuatomre Mr. PO010 stated that staff would develop more detailed analysem for any of the ahooe topplm the the Commission dmelxed. MINUTES r" 0CtOb.r 23, 1991 WWSR COXXXSSXON PW. 4 -1 (Continued] Ilr. Paole rmviewed the four A1tPmiati'lOS that b.. recarmmndmd for futurb rwiuion. to tho rate ItrUCtUr. Ths four alternativem listed werml 1. Elhination of one or more blocks 2. Reduction in UIR tatas charged for oach block District nemtinq wag to reduce thm Block 1 ra (one item not mantioned at hot night'. WLtOl to Kall belou current retaL1.1 3. Xncrease th4 number of units billed At thm lower blacks 0. Determine single tmily allocations barnad on aver.9. actual demmnde In 1L.u of a rriatrie%-vide that tho mingle fanilios paid $45,000 Out Of thm fn raeppnse to Commiemion query, Mr. ?mle mtated 5260,000 plid undmr tho tier mystom, and the Cmmission And Bosrd mry do semathinp with the rates or the ponrlty rates. Commissloner Oreer slid he wan not cerain bout tAktng construction Out of tho pnalty, as they nhould use reclaimed water and not potbble water. XI. Oreaney Bald the Dintrict had received betwe. mostly fran users with large famillem &/or lug 50 And 60 lmttern complalning about thm watmr bil era rsquirad to keep waterad b).caUae of arnsion 102s. Some Of thosm pople have .iop.m that they control Or fir. eontral. and would be lubject to Penalty from other nourcem a- well &a r pnalty from the Water District. pu. Oreanoy maid that with tkm penalty .y.tam in effect from thm Water Authority, tho city could b that in the futurm. subject to penalties and need money in raseme fo Commissioner Bonan nuqgested qolng back to a reduction in thm rate and reduca tha block rate 0 for thoee who only use a few units. Cwuniasionsr Creer recomended eotrblimhing a liiellne racm. Comiraioner Bonar, made a motion to hen staff Reapare infometlon on rate ~tabiliratlon fund, penaltims, wtmr conaervatlon urd publlc 20 Peraant CUtbACk frm th. ba#m yea for .inglm information. This would includa returning to the would like to dimcuoo thin further, AM look at fanily residences. The ComisliOner8 8tat.d they =re Lnformation. pus. Bonam stated thet thmm were the toplcs mtaff wmo to prspar. rurther 4nAlyePs for the next meeting. MINUTES r" - r" 7 i OPtOber 23, 1991 WATSR COMIS8IDN Page 5 -1 (Continued) nt. oreanmy stated Btaff yuld provide infonutiom on what th. present fundm would be eutmrkmd for, and how to addroas revldng the rates lndlor the what would happen if tho rata. wra r.turaed to c)I bas. year1 what would happsn with a USellne establimhed and if tho block rate warm to k oontinumd, how that would affant th. pople udn9 15 units or lesa. commissioner Gremr agreed that tho singlo family rat0 should return to the 20 percent, but he mid he would like to discuss Ways Of adjuatinq the blocks mo thbt in ths future there is not the OVCI qeneratinq of fund. and the people who arm the water wa.t.=a will bo pmnrlirad. comimsionw Creer stated that it waI a .-rate matter to decide what to do with the funds thbt hav. aGcumulated. Mr. Qreaney laid staff would provide addltlonrl data, .sruning they would go back to the 20 percent over tho base yoar fernul.. He safd that staff would develop different acsnarion for different blocke or rate8, In ordar to offset tha $200,000 accumulated from tha SOUZCI other than elnplo familion. Comlmioner Woodward comnantcd on the $1.15 rate, whlch is to go up due to H.tropo1it.n incruauam, and .aid that tho Rate Btblllration rund oould perhaps reduce that increaaa. blocke. Almo, thozm would be more infOmClOn On Mr. Poolm said that no on. knows how much that rat will increa8e, or when, am it in for capital that the ntaff at Hetroplltm fed thm lncr-ase construction and facilitiaa. nr. Greaney addad wlll oonn in March, with mwthmr in July of 1992. That 1s just thm ilrlt year, and Kbtropclitan plar not includo the Water Authority plana for their increase. over the next #evaral ymaxs. This doem capital program and our own oiatrlct increaaam. I .aid that by 1996, th. comt could br clou to 91,000 per acre foot. Comnisnloner Woodward statmd ha fdt the incllnln( block rata Is the way to go. Comrsis#ionlu Grser added that if you want to pnallrm tho onas who have not changmd their waylr wlth regard to water eonaervrtion, that la a fair approaoh--but baned c prlor use. Cammlssloner Woodwrrd concurred. 6velyn Harsh, 4306 norison Drive, statmd that th. public needs to be madm awar. of th. n..d for 11111 rm8arvolra to be bullt, an6 .he ooncurrmd that the of previoua usm during the base ymar. rates need to tmturn to the 20 pucmnt consarvatic MINUTES ,"- P NEW BUSINESS: (Continued) The consensus of the commission was to have staff develop something with the 20 percent use. Mr. doesn't meet their 20 percent cutbqck. they would ~oole reminded the Commission that if the District be penalized. Chairman Maerkle inquired what districts had paid penalties, and Mr. Poole stated that there were five districts that paid penalties--agriculture users--and he added that this District does "sed a Metropolitan had given out rebates to agencies and reserve in case of penalties. He said that now were in trouble. Commissioner Cree= suggested that there should be would be a lifeline rate below the regular atandar fifth block in the inclining rate blocks. and that rate. This would apply to residences only. The suggestion was made to reduce the rates charge This would make three blocks plus the residential in each block and increase the percent spread. lifeline for single family residences and three fo everyone else, with new block rates. Commissioner woodward stated he would like some plan to lead the commercial user9 toward conserving--peehapa an incentive plan if they install everything possible to save water. The Commission requested information on conscious customers. implementing into the system incentives for water- -: Chairman Maeekle declared a Recess at 3:40 p.m., and th Commission re-convened at 3:55 p.m., with all Members present. commissioner Bonas amended her previous motion as folloW6: The Water Commission directed staff to return with detailed analyses of the following: Base the single family residences on actual month-to-month basis. demands, less 20 percent of the base year. on a Create a lifeline rate for residences. block rate=. Develop a three-block tier structure. with new Create incentives for 'water-conscious" customers. \\ Maerkle BO"aS Greer Henley Woodward MINUTES c - r" I October 23, 1991 WATER COMMISSION Page 7 C NEW: (continued) The Commission directed staff to return with a report on each of the following alternatives for the expenditure of existing funds: customer Service Rate Stabilization Fund ReserveB ( Future Penalties) Refund to customers (to include those who conserved, but not necessarily 20 percent) ADDED ITEMS AND REPORTS: WATER COMMISSION 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 5 p- (weer) s- (Weer) -15.484) (Maerkle) These four items were discueeed together, with the Commission consensus being that S.484 was more beneficial to urban water users and less oneroue t agriculture and environmental areas. The Water Commission recommended that the Water Board write letters to the Senators that the Water Comission support8 S.484 in concept. ACWA CommitteelTask Force Amointments The Commissioners will retain their current appointments and will inform Mr. Greaney Of their second and third choices. Mr. Greaney referred to the letter dated October 7 1991, from the Sa" Diego County Water Authority, asking for action from this commission as to whether or not there is support for the formation of an Urban Section. The Water Commission recommended the Water Board send a letter to the ACWA Board expressing support of the formation of an Urban section. IMISSIONERS Haerkle Greer Woodward Henley Bonas Maerkle Bonaa Greer Henley Woodward Maerkle Greer Bonas Woodward Henley MINUTES 7. R -A The Water Commission directed staff to write a letter of endorsement for Chester C. Gilbert as Vice President of the RCwA Municipal Section. 8. Presidents and Manaaars Council (Maerkle) Chairman Maerkle gave a report on the recent activities. 9. Miscellaneous ReDorts Commissioner Bonae etated she gets mail from the National Water Resources Association inviting her to be a repreeentative and this is a waste of postage and paper and she would like them to be instructed to remove her name fram their mailing list, sincv they -re no longer on our approved lis of Associations. dinner he attended with the speaker the City Commissioner Henley reported on a meeting and Manager from Sa" Diega. QHANRDER: Bob Greaney reported that water conservation WIIQ down for the last month due to the warm weather. NO other reports were given. WPROVAL OF MINUTES: Minutes of the Meeting held October 9, 1991, were approved as presented. RDJOURNMCNT: BY Proper motion. the Meeting of October 23, 1991, was adjourned at 4:51 p.m., to Wednesday, November 6, 1991, at 1:30 P.m., at the District Offices. Reape,ctfully submitted, - Minutes Clerk Haerkle weer Bonae Henley Woodward Maerkle Bonas Greer Henley Woodward