Dear Fort Bragg City Council Members:
Here are the protests of many community members. None of these people want the water and sewer rates to increase for families.
With more time more protests could be collected. The protest instructions were buried in the last page of the packet mailed and were confusing. Once explained to people you will find most are on board with the protest. We ask that you redo this process and make it a fair one.
Please do not approve the water and sewer changes proposed this evening. The proposed changes shift the burden of cost onto single family residences. The rates for this classification triple in 5 years. Fort Bragg families cannot afford this and the report does not justify it with facts and specifics.
The current report and proposed changes are far too general to approve. Even the number of properties is an estimate (about 2800). The budget line items are far too general. They need to be itemized and specific. The two million dollars needed for salaries and benefits needs to be explained with job
descriptions, salaries and costs of benefits for each position.
The million dollars for Administration costs also needs to be itemized. The million dollars for utilities must be explained.
The question that remains unanswered in this report is the most important one and the most relevant to Proposition 218- What does it cost to deliver water and sewer services to each parcel every month?
Instead of answering this question based on the facts from the past they hypothesize cost based on probable budgets and costs.
What has it cost in the past year? 5 years? 10 years? Clearly less than anticipated since there are 8.5 million dollars in reserve. We all want to know - What does it cost?
In addition the tiered use billing system has been declared illegal by courts in other parts of the state. Why would you continue to use a billing system that is not legal? There has to be a better way.
The history of successful grant writing makes it impossible to predict costs. We ask that a rate structure be approved every year based on actual costs.
Please do not approve the proposed changes in the • water and sewer rates. Please start this process of evaluation over again with the intention of establishing a flat rate system that reflects real actual costs and lowers bills for families in Fort Bragg.
We believe rates can go down based on the 8.5 million in reserves. This raises more questions:
1- why is 8.5 million dollars in 13 checking accounts?
Shouldn't it be invested and earning interest?
2-should this money be refunded to the community since we have been over charged according to Proposition 218?
Please table this vote. Investigate this further. Get more detailed reports of costs and share them with your constituents.
The city employees and contractors work for you. You work for the community. Employees need your guidance and oversight. This is the job you were elected to do. The community needs full disclosure and a fair opportunity to protest the proposals.
It is your job to drive this bus with the community on board.
Thank you
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