McMillan, Acquanette (Netta)
From: Jomsky, Mark
Sent: Monday, March 21, 2022 9:20 AM
To: Official Records - City Clerk
Subject: FW: City Council 3-21-2022 Agenda Item 14: Water Rates Attachments: State's water savings dry up - Californians' usage increased in January, alarming officials amid a historic drought (LA Times 3-16-2022).pdf
Regards,
Mark Jomsky
City Clerk
City of Pasadena
(626) 744-4709 (Direct)
(626) 372-6769 (Cell)
From: Ken Kules
Sent: Sunday, March 20, 2022 2:06 PM
To: Jomsky, Mark <[email protected]>
Cc: Gordo, Victor <[email protected]>; Wilson, Andy <[email protected]>; Williams, Felicia <[email protected]>; Hampton, Tyron <[email protected]>; Rivas, Jessica <[email protected]>; Kennedy, John J. <[email protected]>; Madison, Steve <[email protected]>; Masuda, Gene <[email protected]>; Kurtz, Cynthia <[email protected]>; Kightlinger, Jeffrey <[email protected]> Subject: City Council 3-21-2022 Agenda Item 14: Water Rates CAUTION: This email was delivered from the Internet. Do not click links or open attachments unless you know the content is sate. Report phish using the Phish Alert Button. Learn more....
I commented at the 3-14-2022 City Council meeting on this same topic and was unable to complete my comments due to the unreasonably-limited amount of time provided.. This is a transcript of those comments:
"PWP told the Municipal Services Committee that the proposed ordinance language re-defining the Capital Improvement Change is a clarification when in truth it's establishing a new policy that's contrary to the existing ordinance requirement that the Commodity Rates be used to recover water supply costs. "Councilmembers frequently want to know how Pasadena's water rates compare with other similar water utilities. What you should know is that the policy for the vast majority of public water agencies throughout the state - including Los Angeles, Burbank & Glendale - is to include all costs for water supply in their Commodity Rates and the PWP proposal would make this city an outlier. "I chuckled when I read the assertion on page 7 of the Agenda Report that the action supports City Council policy goals to 'increase conservation.' As I explained in my written comments, this policy 1 03/21/2022
Item 14
change will actually reduce the conservation signal in the Commodity Rates. "I have to disagree with Ms. Thomas' response to Councilmember Kennedy's question regarding Budget Based Pricing impact on the rates. The Budget based Pricing structure only works for increasing block volumetric charges and that would affect the Commodity Charge only since the CIC is a fixed volumetric rate and the D&C is a fixed rate.
"I wish I could tell you that there are technical reasons or legal constraints driving whether or not you should adopt the proposed ordinance change, but there aren't. PWP will collect the necessary revenues to offset costs as permitted by Prop 218 regardless of your decision and there's no threat to bond ratings.
What you simply have before you is a discretionary and binary choice to either weaken or strengthen Pasadena's conservation ethic as a matter of City Council policy." I intend to complete my oral comments at the 3-21-2022 meeting and ask that you give them full consideration.
Until then, I urge you to read the attached news article as wells as the following report:
https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/17/us/noaa-drought-spring-outlook-climate/index.html Los Angeles Times
//////////
State's Europeans' visit boosts Ukraine
water
As shelling kills more
civilians, three NATO
savings leaders offer their
support in the capital.
dry up
CAWN KARSEN
AND RACY WE RHON
Californians' usage
increased in January.
alarming officials amid
a historic drought.
Californis will end winter
soned What Hen we a:
and an emergency sessio
CHANTO
back.
State Water Resources Cor myr Zelensky pusted his
can ke wycal minary ald t
trol Board show that rather
than conserving water, Call-
increased all Parameal, a message
s expected to repeal
waler we 20% in January, Vednesday to the U.8. Cor
comonked with the same
gress.
NATO summit is intended
The cumulative savings
Newsmen as an Wallor.
and reasse Buropean al
has owners out wa
les that washlagton sa reli-
ble parter, a once-che
hed boxlon that was dan
preveal worst-case
mandatory water cute.
good wake numbers are
i get go
•Charlot
European countries that are
mind Callornie's punishin experiencing the brunt of
exodus of reta-
gees from Ukraine. PolEsT
then-Goy. Jerry Brown or nedla speculated that Bid
dered a mandatory 25% re.
would also travel to Po.
A Torniant came clare
ris as easter bue. Four people were killed in the attacked i Wa canyaky diatria. Ukraine. Above, police The prime ministers of of thet water-saving hables and the
Sovers
Republic.
But conduty today and
non eleme than even in
hose die tuner
Ukrainian Jews escaping to Israel IpLo
ainlan capital Kylv
were the driest ever re-
corded. with only about: the Tramihour turned down la not appone nto donat the encounter on sociel me Thousands have been oders to help them evacuate to stay in their cities the said state cll- resettled in a rescue tael H-year-old daughter. "We thought one more ure not alive I was the tirst bism-leve ael Ander Азут. Дуа was a psychiatrist ciay and it will be stopped. that this is the time "he sat Visit by octals hom next dress. 2013. operation led by the this honor win than milton twice lobbed ve sold people have fled Ukraine
Jewish community. neas centers.
The the uP ON 20
They enjoyed a tranqua homhine eviller Tregubovs are among thou BY LEILA MiLLE&
e strolling the city's river- Клали Дуд. of Jews who have whose atmo er was owed to koen a mace Journaliat slams
trix together. They vaca medic with the Soviet army war on Russia TV oned la a summer home that Auschwitz
where An anitar arnsharaly
Under the Law of Return
calate know that uhose who which gives foreign-borr
The couple. both 40, Eved
Anger erupts as fire official
who looked drunk is cleared
cording to LAPD reconds ekeep
Minority and female has ss ater the ickeat
firefighter groups say show he wason sick leave the
was reported to be
it shows white men
get special treatment.
BY PAUL. PRIMOLE
Last spring. a high-rank.
Ing official in the Los Ange
that Its top administrative
L.n. COMPOST solunceers add food scrape, much of it collected from mmander coler deni armers markets, co a pile at the ardanization'a regional hub in Griffith Pari red Mathis, appeared to i rseeing the apency's
he cantee minine
on on to
Dirty hands, clean consciences The omelal reported that Mathis admitted to her tant ported in July that an en
try was made la Mathis
Composting is creating a new generation of environmentalists LY JAMTA RAINEY that wasnt a comprehensive solution.
auca smokers wirene taused serene
A fourth dose of Daylight saving Weather
T kitchen serap COVID veccine? time bill advances
Pfizer socks U.S. Senate senda Hous thi
sparrisen Sunshine
Bometimes he totall Protection Act to end
pepper into the bushes, touring it would ice-yearly chant decompose and feed the greenery. But clocks. NATION,
BESINESS INSIDE: A worker accuses Google of retaliating against her for activism. AlO Los Angeles Gimes WSCE WEDNESDAY. MARCH 16. 2022 A11
State's urban water savings are falling short
Ick, co-founder of the Pacific
Institere. "The reservoirs
year we were in the second
and lendline lo oncer dryer
DarDon Wen Thus do more
Traced esPurces Director
noled local water suppliers'
role in ensuring regional wa.
ter goals are met. But while
I will end up being the dates! conservation
anuary-rebruary-blanch can make a dillere nct. cities
an in.
Call year
As a result. the depart
mers art growing more foo
promised 15% water supply
allocation that came on the also udering and calle
heels of December's storms.
Nemy said autouch she
no sooney ros much
Officials are also plan.- ORMARO MOLINA taI Antin Tir as thought they're being ta bas to submit & temporary nored. "te said, adding tha
Then we remaine enor
was polent tow
ter nans and usage from The San Francisco Bay Area ven Upadhyay seld he wasn'! •es reminder that wateco ter use to do what we want Apri through June, and are reduce water use ty btt
In the process of evaluating drought-related term process, there will be HUKERAUTISE cada cred ary, while the South Coast GOTS Boule unpace croaking apparent spectes Bettons. region, which incides Los Southers countles, saging is needed to reach many changes will be long other steps Angeles, reduced S.1%, com cluding Impertal, Los Ange. people who dont always water wasting adopted by cerm reflections of a new way pared with the baseline pe- les, Orange, Riverside, San think in percentages. the board in January helped of life. Last mooch, research- this partiedar sitation this I want to be clear: Thisis spread some vareness, off were ventura, among the *This Is but the lacklu
ПЕСНЕ CHE #04 05089Р sonservation numbers ina
adicate that
percy declaratsat noes and o voluntary
may no looter be
patterin Southem Calfa
dire drought conditions that sult to drive home the se
roughe emergency in tho
Some areas of California Olven the unusual dry.
are conserving more water cluding much of the state's ness of January MWD's than others. the data show. agricultural hub, which sur. Chlet Operating OMcer De where somethine stars a
in artrama and than he
a)sc comes episadic." Anderson
MARKET ROUNDUP change and drought Carr sald. "I think we're in tha:
sower moving co soole clement here.
Then the war name ar outdoor irration and re where we're slarting to see it Stocks rise as oil prices fall again even the condemne so done tune among other is a little harderto get people conservation practices.
ASOCIATRO PAXAS
Major stock indexes
Daly
Boex Close chanes change Chant
Dow industrtets 33.504.34 $599:0 4:82 - 769
SEP 500 4 252.45 +39.34
Налово стокі 294302 4367.40 479% - 17.23
SeP 400 Los Angries Cimes
RussAl 2000 1.908.97 +29.25 +1.80
sicipated interest rale policy EuroStor 50 3,2÷8.98 1 • 0.05 update. Nickelf soon' 25.340.68 40.6
The Standard & Poors Hang Seng (hing kong) 18.4:508-1.116.58 -572 -21.30 Introducing GOES, 500 index roar 2 Mending a
chree day losing streak, af.
ver a regort showed infla- a new subscriber benefit.
tone mold archamton mism regarding Nikraine • the same rate as in Jant comained will online. ary. On a month-to-month
last month The parding infation of in par basts, prices rose 08% in GET 24/7 LIVE OUTDOOR EMERGENCY SUPPORT.
Hones anousical average Pebruary fram January, ver-
gained sus forecasts for Q9%. That's Wa make it our mission to highlish Ine Let catacors heavy arperences for pen In cajoy But des you keton hate 10 added 2.9%. month-wer mont
The wllder action was in chie! Invest ment prepore for their ahead of time" And what to do in en ol and Aslao stock markets Strategist al CF'RA. The yteld on the The SlaP 500 rose 89.34 Treasured es 225 a mer else emergery pination? where
COVID measures la China polnts to 4252.45. The Dow
rand for energy and about
health. into the CO-s Health App
multine: the periskrefronterge
ressure off the world's hist
nation, Bocks in Hon you need to prepate tor you next
Rons sank more than 5% for to 599.00 a barrel. *ivenine ane lospele any cuidesir a second stralshit day dier showed Intation was sill in other amelonment martial sitestin
very nice see week chenions chara
tallest month but at laser channeln rice wilm
for a limated imme arre pickle
"It ever so alight, at least
enrgency upport for all La. Tink=
LA Times tabsenter - a new benefit for mur
lSeeker."..
koyal members. Simply download the
Deposit & Loan Guide free GOLd Iealth App and enter tire vaucher code: LATimesBenefit
same samn man san 202.030 100,000 120,000 909-450-2050
1030% ADY 30 moa CO Special - 5100k Mirimum 23 acan - Memon FDIcI # AppStore!: * Google Flay comaeci вета
0.15 070 g
2,500 2,500 2,500 2300
Sings Update
10 tips for avoiding impulse buys
MONDAY. MARCH 21. 2022 Los Angeles Oimes
EDITORIA
Conservation is failing. RECEIVED
It's time for water cuts 2022 MAR 21 PM I: 28
wasteful turf lawns and replace them with
The drought is getting worse. water-sipping native landscaping. change What is the governor waiting for? out inefficient appliances and capture Ch:
stormwater to recharge aquifers.
Under legislation adopted in 2018, Cali-
ALIFORNIA Is in year three of a fornia regulators are working on long-term worsening drought and the situa- standards for making water conservation a way of life as climate change brings more
and snowy December, California persistent and frequent drought. But people experienced its driest January need to be jolted into action now, especially and February on record. More than 93% of to curtail outdoor watering that accounts for the state is now suffering "severe" or "ex- as much as half of urban use. Agriculture treme" drought, compared with 66% last uses about 80% of all the water used in Cali- month, according to the U.S. Drought fornia, and more must also be done to reduce Monitor. Sierra Nevada snowpack has its usage while limiting groundwater pump- dropped to 55% of normal for this time of ing that depletes aquifers. year and reservoirs are depleted. Alex Stack, a spokesperson for Newsom, Gov. Gavin Newsom in July called for would not say whether the governor would Califomians to voluntarily reduce water use issue a mandatory water conservation or- by 15% compared with 2020 levels, but the der, but pointed to $22.5 milton in new state state has cut back by only about 6.5%. In drought response funding announced earli January, urban wateruse increased by 2.6%. er this month, including more than $8 mil- compared with the same month in 2020. lion for "targeted outreach efforts to educate heading in the wrong direction even as the Californians on water conservation mea- drought deepens. sures and practices."
It should be clear by now that the gover- It's a little late to start gearing up the wa- nor's voluntary pleas are not working. ter-saving tips. And while better messaging Water experts say California should have is clearly needed. it's not enough, already moved to impose mandatory re- Mandates are what helped get California strictions. But Newsom still hasn't ordered through the punishing 2012-16 drought. It them. was at a dismal snow survey in April 2015 that
What is he waiting for? then-Gov. Jerry Brown ordered California's Forecasters are predicting drier-than- first statewide mandatory water restric- average conditions to persist across much tions. His directive to cut urban water use by of California for the next two weeks, making 25% put in motion a series of emergency it increasingly likely that California will ex- regulations that, while at times controver- perience its driest January-February. sial, were largely effective. Californians got March stretch on record.
Even more meager snow-
pack numbers are expected
at an upcoming April 1 snow
survey that typically records
the year's peak levels. PLEASE
Imposing conservation CONSERVE
mandates now, just as out- WATER
door water use starts to
ramp up for the spring and
summer, would force water
suppliers to enact restric-
tlons on lawn watering or
boister incentives for eff.
cient appliances and fix-
tures, and drought-friendly
landscaping. It would also
send a clear message to Cali-
fornians who are under-
standably distracted by JAY L. CLENDENIN Los Angeles Times other crises and may be un- A TRAFFIC sign along Highway 1 in Fort Bragg in aware of the severity of this 2021 alerts drivers to the town's water emergency drought. Though this dry
spell is as bad, if not worse, than the 2012-16 ciose to meeting Brown's 25% reduction or- drought, it has not garnered the same type der: And while the state's rules were lifted af- of heavy media coverage (which, by the way. ter the winter of 2017 brought massive has been linked to reductions in residential storms. some of those water-saving habits water use). stuck around.
"Unless we really put mandatory restric- California is better positioned to respond tions and get these utilities to actually deal this time around because of what regulators with this in a more systematic way. I doubt have learned from that experience. They we're going to see tons more conservation." know what works. what they can be flexible said Newsha Ajami, a water expert and re- on. and they have more data to help tailor searcher at Lawrence Berkeley National their rules and make them as focused and et- Laboratory. lective as possible.
Experience shows that the earlier gov- Last year, Newsom may have been reluc- ernment takes action to conserve water, the tant to order unpopular curbs on water be- better, Ajami said, and that could prove cause he was facing a September recall elec. fateful if this drought persists through next tion. Sticking with that hands-off approach winter and spring, and communities start thisyear may be coming out of a desire not to running out of water. burden Californians with another govern- The dryness we are experiencing is Cali- ment mandate after two vears of COVID-19 fornia's new reality under climate change. restrictions and at a moment when inflation, Global warming has fundamentally high gas prices and war in Ukraine are more changed the water cycle, as rising tempera- top of mind than the drought. That's under- tures intensify climate extremes and am- standable, but Newsom and California gain plify the state's boom-bust swings between nothing by falling to act aggressively now to having too much precipitation and not save water.
enough Conditions have clearly worsened in the
While this drought is another environ- five months since Newsom declared a drought emergency. It's time for him to take 03/21/2022 mental crisis to deal with, It is also an oppor-
tunity to make lasting changes to reflect our the next step and impose mandatory water Item 14 altered climate. To rip out thirsty and restrictions.