O-07-24 - Adopting Rate Increases to City of Colton Sewer Service Fees and Taking Other Actions Related Thereto

Browse Search

ORDINANCE NO. 0-07-24 1 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF 2 COLTON, CALIFORNIA ADOPTING RATE INCREASES TO CITY OF COLTON SEWER SERVICE FEES AND TAKING OTHER ACTIONS 3 RELATED THERETO 4 WHEREAS, the City of Colton(the "City") operates a municipal sewer system and sewer treatment plant, and treats and disposes of the wastewater from properties located within the City 5 and certain unincorporated areas of the County; and 6 WHEREAS, the City undertook an evaluation of the capital infrastructure needs, programs, and operations and maintenance costs of its sewer system; and 7 8 WHEREAS, based on this evaluation, the City Council has determined to increase the rates for its sewer service charges effective September 1, 2024; and 9 WHEREAS, future rate increases, beginning each July 1 thereafter, through and 10 including July 1, 2028, will be necessary for all of the City's sewer customers to enable the City to recover projected costs of providing sewer services and to ensure that it can safely treat and 11 dispose of sewage, maintain the operational and financial stability of the utility, and avoid operational deficits and depletion of reserves; and 12 WHEREAS, the rates for the sewer service fees are comprised of four customer classes— 13. (1) residential (which includes single-family residences, mobile homes, and churches); (2) multi- 14 family (which includes apaitinent units and condominiums); (3) schools; and (4) commercial and industrial; and 15 WHEREAS, the rates for the monthly sewer service fees for residential and multi-family 16 properties are determined on an equivalent dwelling unit(EDU) basis; and 17 WHEREAS,the rates for schools are determined on the basis of the estimated sewer flow generated at an identified school in terms of the number of students attending (in hundreds); and 18 19 WHEREAS, the rates for commercial and industrial customers are determined on the basis of the estimated sewer flow a property contributes to the sewer system (using monthly 20 metered water use data) and the loads that a customer's sewage discharges put on the system (based on biochemical oxygen demand and total suspended solids); and 21 WHEREAS, the rates are calculated to proportionately allocate capital replacement, 22 operations, maintenance, treatment, and disposal costs to each customer class; and 23 WHEREAS, in accordance with the provisions of Article XIII D, section 6 of the 24 California Constitution, the City mailed out notices of the proposed sewer rate increases and such notices were provided to all property owners and tenants directly liable for sewer service fees 25 within the City not less than 45 days prior to the public hearing on the proposed establishment of rates and fees as set forth herein; and 26 27 WHEREAS, the City Council conducted a public hearing on June 18, 2024, in order to receive oral and written testimony regarding this Ordinance and the proposed rate increases. Said 28 public hearing date and time was not less than 45 days after the mailing of the notice; and