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Electric Utility Rates
<br />Mayor Beltran stated that the City Council will divert from the regular Agenda items at this time to discuss
<br />petitions that have been presented to the Council regarding the electric utility rates.
<br />Miss Marlene Alexander, 2255 Cahuilla Street, Apartment No. 11, addressed the City Council stating she is
<br />representing the Colton Citizens Utilities Committee, and many other Colton residents, who have signed these
<br />petitions before them this evening.
<br />Miss Alexander continued that with the understanding the utility company is a municipally owned operation, the
<br />people would like to know what the Southern California Edison Company is charging the City of Colton for
<br />electricity, in proportion to what the City of Colton is charging the consumer. Miss Alexander said the high
<br />rates that are being charged by the City of Colton, and the Southern California Edison Company, are causing
<br />undue hardships for the residents of the community.
<br />Miss Alexander advised the Colton Citizens Utilities Committee therefor charges the City of Colton with the
<br />following:
<br />High, unfair usage rates of utility cost, which the Committee feels is an
<br />unlawful taxation.
<br />Placing unfair and unreasonable burdens upon the residents of Colton.
<br />Estimating and not reading the meters.
<br />An excessive profit is being made from the utility customers and is being
<br />diverted into the General and Operating Funds, which should be rebated to
<br />the utility consumer; this is another form of hidden taxation to generate
<br />for the General Fund.
<br />The Resolution adopted by the City Council is being implemented in an advert,
<br />discriminatory manner in stating "No utility extensions are given, only unto
<br />death", which is totally inhuman, depriving Colton residents of the necessities
<br />of live and creating unsanitary and unhealthy conditions.
<br />The City Manager and Electric Utility Department with harassment, rudeness,
<br />and attitudes not becoming civil servants in carrying out their duties.
<br />Miss Alexander stated the Citizens of Colton are not only demanding an investigation by the Mayor and City
<br />Council of these charges, but are also asking for an immediate investigation by the proper authorities, and
<br />respectfully requesting a Grand Jury and the State Attorney General to investigate this serious matter.
<br />Miss Alexander further stated that if the City owned electric utility cannot provide the most reasonable and
<br />efficient service to the consumer, as does the privately owned Southern California Edison Company, then it is
<br />imperative that the City relinquish the electric utilities to Southern California Edison Company for the best
<br />interests of the residents of Colton, thus saving the people this undue, unfair hardship.
<br />Miss Alexander concluded that the Committee will again appear before the City Council at the next meeting
<br />scheduled for October 5, 1976, at which time they expect specific answers to these charges, and are also
<br />sincerely hopeful that some solutions can be found to resolve these crucially important problems.
<br />Mr. Bill Kirk, 2255 Cahuilla Street, Apartment No. 102, presented statistical charts indicating the current
<br />electric rates being charged by the Southern California Edison Company for service, in comparison to the
<br />electric rates charged by the City of Colton. Mr. Kirk advised that according to these figures, the citizens
<br />of Colton are paying 32 percent more for services.
<br />Mr. Kirk also referred to figures from the City's Budgets, 1973-74, 1974-75, and 1975-76, showing the steady
<br />increase derived from the City's electric utility, from 1973 to the present, and asked where has all of this
<br />revenue gone, and why are the people being charged these high rates?
<br />Mr. Ruben DeLa Rosa, 549 Fur Street, stated he also represents the Colton Citizens Utilities Committee, and
<br />they would like answers to the following questions:
<br />1. Where is the revenue that the City collects from its electric utility, referred
<br />to as Surplus in the amount of $500,000 - or a half -million dollars, going annually?
<br />2. Why does the City of Colton have a fluctuating rate that reverts every thirty days
<br />when billing is on a bi-monthly basis, in comparison to Southern California Edison
<br />Company that has a fixed rate after 1,700 kilowatt hours?
<br />3. Why hasn't the City of Colton's Electric Department gone to a life -line basic
<br />rate, as the Southern California Edison Company has?
<br />Mr. DeLa Rosa referred to a bond that had been passed during a recent election which, as the Mayor and Council
<br />Members had stated, would help eliminate, or hold, the rise in electric utility rates. Mr. DeLa Rosa said
<br />this has proven to be untrue, and there were certain promises made that have not been kept.
<br />The following people also spoke to the City Council in opposition to the continually rising electric utility
<br />rates, explaining their individual problems and experiences:
<br />Miss Darlene Smith, 21298 Maryknoll Drive, Colton.
<br />Mrs. Henrietta Bratcher, 1220 Tejon Avenue, Colton.
<br />Mr. E. H. Robinson, 145 East G Street, Colton.
<br />Mrs. Margie McGarrity, 625 Pennsylvania Avenue, Colton.
<br />Miss Alexander advised that the Committee has obtained signatures from one-fifth of the population of the City
<br />of Colton, and that many people cannot be wrong.
<br />Mayor Beltran thanked Miss Alexander, the Committee, and everyone for their comments and presentation this
<br />evening, stating that whether the people want to believe it or not, he and all of the Council Members are very
<br />deeply concerned with this problem.
<br />Mayor Beltran stated he is glad the Committee is requesting investigations of this matter and said that although
<br />the Council cannot offer answers this evening, he assured everyone that there will be definite answers and
<br />comments given on all of these issues and problems.
<br />Mayor Beltran announced that the City Council will take a five minute recess.
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