A public informational session is scheduled for Wednesday, June 4, 2025, from 5:30 – 7:00 pm at the Ludwick Community Center (864 Santa Rosa Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401). Staff will be at the annual Public Works and Utilities Week farmers market event held downtown San Luis Obispo on Thursday, May 22, 2025, from 6:00 – 9:00 pm. Notification of the Public Hearings will be published 45 days and 10 days before the public hearings in a local newspaper.
Staff have also reached out to various local organizations to share information and answer questions.
What are the instructions/requirements for submitting a protest? Property owners of record and tenants directly liable to the City for payment of the water and/or sewer rates may submit a written protest against the proposed changes. The protest form provided with the Prop 218 notice (scheduled to be mailed April 30, 2025) is the official protest form. Only one protest per affected property will be counted towards the majority protest. If a customer or property owner owns multiple properties or has multiple water and/or sewer service accounts, the property owner or account holder will receive separate notices for each. Replacement forms will be available at the City Clerk’s Office, as needed.
Protests must be mailed to the City Clerk at 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401, or hand delivered to the City Clerk prior to the close of the public hearing. Valid protests must be in writing.
Protests submitted orally or by email, fax, or text are not valid and will not be counted. Protests must be submitted to and received by the City Clerk prior to the close of the public hearing which will begin at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. Mailed or delivered protests received after the close of the public hearing are not valid and will not be counted, even if postmarked prior to the date of the hearing.
Protests must state that the signer opposes the proposed increase in water rates, sewer rates, or both. If a written protest form is used, the box(es) identifying that they are protesting the water and/or sewer rates must be checked. Protests must contain the service address and an original signature by either the property owner of record or a tenant directly liable to the City for the rates.
At the conclusion of the public hearing, the City Clerk will announce whether a majority protest exists. If a majority protest exists, the City cannot proceed with the proposed change(s). If a majority protest does not exist, the City has the authority to adopt the proposed rate(s), which would go into effect on July 1, 2025 and July 1, 2026.
Is there any assistance programs for customers struggling to pay their bills? The City offers a discount on water and sewer bills through the Customer Assistance Program (CAP).
Currently the discount is 15% on each monthly water and sewer bill. The Utilities Department will be recommending that City Council increase this amount to 20% at the June 17, 2025, Public Hearing. For more information, visit www.slocity.org/cap.
A customer is eligible for rate assistance if they receive:
✔ CalWorks
✔ CalFresh (food stamps)
✔ Supplemental Social Security and/or State Supplemental Payment ✔ Veteran Survivor’s Pension Benefits
✔ OR, if the customer declares their household income to be less than twice the federal poverty rate.
Helpful Resources
1. Water and Sewer Rates webpage: www.slocity.org/utilityrates
2. Customer Assistance Program webpage: www.slocity.org/cap
3. Rate calculator: https://www.slocity.org/government/department-directory/utilitiesdepartment/utility-billing/calculate-my-bill