This rate study is a comprehensive analysis of the City’s costs of operating and maintaining its water system and providing water service. The rate study addresses a number of key factors, such as the financial plan and revenue requirements, funding of capital projects meeting recommended reserve targets for operations and capital replacement, and accounting for the cost of inflation.

The city selected an experienced utility rate consulting firm in September of 2024, to work with City staff to begin evaluating its utility rates. During this process, the City staff will review the initial study results and provided recommendations to City staff, Finance Commitee and the City Council. The City Council will ultimately decide whether or not to proceed with Prop 218 process to adopt  the proposed new utility rates.

It provides an independent, unbiased evaluation of the City's current utility rates. The study allocates the costs of providing water service to customers based on the proportionate cost of service in accordance with Proposition 218. The utility rate study report and models document the study and are intended to ensure that the City’s proposed utility rates are properly aligned with generally accepted rate study methodology.

In order to implement the new rates, the City will need to: (1) mail written notices of the proposed rate adjustments to property owners as mandated by Proposition 218, and (2) after a protest period of at least 45-days, hold a public hearing to consider all oral and written testimony. Assuming protest ballots are not submitted on behalf of a majority of separate parcels, the City would begin implementing the new water and sewer rates July 1, 2025, the new rates would be reflected in the August 2025 bill. 

The last water rate increases were adopted by the City Council in 2015. The scheduled water rate increases went into effect from 2015 to 2019. The city recently completed a similar process with Solid Waste Rates only, that encompass, trash, organics, recycling and street sweeping. The proposed rates for Solid Waste encompass the following years: 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026. The 

You may mail or hand deliver a signed protest form to the City Clerk, 1401 Draper Street, until the close of the public hearing on : TBD. You have the right to submit a protest for each property serviced by the City's water system. 

(1) State that the identified property owner is in opposition to the proposed increases to the solid waste rates;

(2) Provide the location of the identified parcel (by street address or assessor’s parcel number (APN);

(3) Include the printed name and original, wet signature of the property owner submitting the protest;

(4) Date the protest was signed; and

(5) Certification by the named property owner that the contents of the protest are true and correct.

Your signed protest may also be delivered/ dropped off in a sealed envelope and have “Attn: Protest Water Rate Increase "written on the outside in order to properly identify and account for the vote.

The notice and protest form will be mailed to you separately from your utility bill. The protest forms are due by end of the public hearing on TBD at 1401 Draper Street -City Council Chamber.

No, Proposition 218 requires a written protest with a signature. You can voice your opinion on the Prop 218 rates, but in order your protest to count you have the right to submit a written protest for each property with Solid Waste or Street Sweeping services. The notice and form will be mailed and can be downloaded here.

If you do not wish to oppose the proposed rate adjustments, no action is necessary. By not submitting a protest form, you are showing your support for the rate adjustments. You may also attend the public hearing on TBD to voice your support. The public hearing will be held at regular Council Meeting - 1401 Draper Street at 6pm. 

Water meters for residential customers typically have a meter that ranges from 5/8" to 1".  Commerical buildings can have meters from 1" and up.   Commercial buildings may also have multiple meters for domestic/commercial use and a separate meter for irrigation.  If you need help determining your meter size, please call the Utility Billing Department at 559-897-5821. If the new rates are approved this information will be displayed on your bill.