Dear Council and Acting City Manager,
Sebastopol’s water and sewer services are currently operated as a branch of our city government rather than an independent municipal utility.
Because of this, a firewall should exist between what city staff refer to as enterprise and general funds.
The enterprise fund shouldn’t be poached to finance general-fund activities, or ballparked percentages of common activities.
Sebastopol ratepayers need an oversight committee that can access detailed enterprise fund revenue and expenditure records, and report on a regular basis to both ratepayers and council about what’s being accomplished.
The committee’s primary objective should be confirmation that fiduciary responsibilities are being met and that no rough estimates are being relied upon with respect to budget and planning considerations.
Georges
Sebastopol