Revised Miscellaneous
Fees and Charges
BPU Budget Subcommittee
August 10, 2026
Nick Harvey, Deputy Director Administration
Background
• What is a miscellaneous fee?
• Fees and charges to reimburse Santa Rosa Water for specific services • Charged to the customers who receive the service – not spread to the entire ratepayer base
• How are they calculated?
• Fully burdened labor rate
• Vehicle rates if applicable
• Materials if applicable
• How are fees adopted?
• Public Hearing by the BPU - last schedule adopted at BPU in October 2024 Proposed Fee Modifications
• Trucked Waste Tipping Fee Schedule:
• Informed by the “Trucked Waste Program Evaluation Report” published by Brown and Caldwell in August 2022
• Evaluation of operating costs & revenues, staffing needs, capital needs & treatment plant market conditions to make recommendations on future of trucked waste tipping fees • Made recommendation on amounts and timing of tipping fee increases to ensure sustainability of program for the next several years
• In 2024, tipping fees were held at current amount and not increased • Trucked Waste Coordinator has since been filled
• Updated program cost information continues to be gathered to inform future tipping fee recommendations
Proposed Tipping Fee Schedule
Other Miscellaneous Fees
• BPU Resolution 1332, adopted at the October 17, 2024 Public Hearing • Authorized the Director to adjust all fees not escalated on a separate basis annually by the annual change in the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers in the SF Bay Area on July 1, 2026 and every July 1 thereafter
• Fees have been escalated for the first time under this authorization • Public hearing not required for such escalations based on the adopted resolution • Certain fees have not been escalated
• Deposits, NSF and other fees for which the costs to Santa Rosa Water have not risen • Fees that escalated by less than $1 under the approved methodology Public Outreach
• Letters to targeted audiences
• Waste haulers at the Laguna Treatment Plant
• BPU Budget Review Subcommittee Meeting – Today
• Feedback and direction provided by subcommittee
• Public Notices in Newspaper
• Press Democrat publication on August 5 and 10, 2026 informing public of BPU hearing
Public Hearing Schedule
• Initial Newspaper Publication 8/5/2026 • Republication in Newspaper 8/10/2026 • Board of Public Utilities Public Hearing 8/20/2026
• Fees Effective (60 days after adoption) 10/19/2026
• Ongoing CPI-U escalation July 1 each year
• Future proposed changes (non CPI-U) would come as a public hearing before the BPU for the Board’s consideration and approval
Recommendation
It is requested by Santa Rosa Water that the BPU Budget Subcommittee recommend that the Board of Public Utilities approve the proposed changes to the miscellaneous fees and charges schedule.
Questions?