City Receives Little Protest of Sewer Rate Hike, Customers Will See Bills Increase

At the close of a public hearing at Monday night's city council meeting, staff had received  of an increase to sewer rates in Pacifica from a slim percentage of property owners. 

Out of 12,624 property owners who could have sent in a protest letter, staff received letters from 284, or 2.31 percent. A simple majority of 51 percent was necessary to stop the rate increase.

At 7:33p.m. Monday night, council approved the rate increase. 

The minimum sewer rate for property owners in Pacifica will go up by 3.4 percent from about $439 annually to about $510 annually. Customers at threshhold can expect to see their monthly bills go up by $1.40 a month in fiscal year 2011-12. See the chart in the attached PDF council meeting agenda for more details about the different tiers of rate increases. 

Only one person spoke at the public hearing, which allowed the public to air their support for or opposition to the increase.

Therese Dyer said that this increase to property owners' bills was a reflection of the city council's inability to expediently sell the old wastwater treatment plant adjacent to city council chambers at 2212 Beach Boulevard. She said she would be sending her protest letter to the Attorney General for further review.

According to city Finance Director Ann Ritzma, costs for providing sewer services in Pacifica are going up because of ongoing repair and maintenance in sewer mains, city owned laterals and at the Celera Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant and because of a between the California Water Quality Control Board and the city of Pacifica in March for sewage spills that occurred in 2008.