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Home My WebLink About2018 Rate Increase Notice - Land Only ServiceNOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING In Connection with Proposed CHANGES TO RATES, FEES, AND CHARGES FOR WATER SERVICE This noƟce contains important informaƟon about water rates. Otay Water District (the “District”) is noƟfying all property owners within the District’s service area of a public hearing in connecƟon with changes to rates, fees, and charges for water service. The District is a public agency that can provide water service to your property. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Otay Water District (the “District”) will hold a Public Hearing on October 4, 2017, at 3:30 p.m. in the Board of Directors MeeƟng Room located at 2554 Sweetwater Springs Blvd., Spring Valley, CA 91978, to consider: (1) the adopƟon of rates, fees, and charges that apply to water billed beginning January 1, 2018; (2) the authorizaƟon, for a period of ﬁve years, for all future pass‐through increases or decreases to cover changes to rates, fees, and charges from the District’s water suppliers; and, (3) the authorizaƟon, for a period of ﬁve years, overall average increases to rates, fees, and charges, in addiƟon to the pass‐through increases, not to exceed 10 percent per year, for all costs other than pass‐through costs. These rates, fees, and charges apply to property for which you are shown as the record owner or customer of record. The purpose of the hearing is to consider all wriƩen protests against the proposed rates, fees, and charges that, if approved, will be imposed on properƟes served by the District. The changes in the proposed rates, fees, and charges and the basis upon which they were determined is described in more detail as follows. PROPOSED RATE CHANGES As part of the annual budget review process, the District’s Board of Directors typically proposes an overall rate increase to be implemented for January. This year the Board of Directors is proposing no overall rate increase on January 1, 2018. Even though there is no proposed overall rate increase for January 1, 2018, the District is proposing changes to the rate structure, rates, fees, and charges based on a comprehensive cost of service study completed in April 2017. The study was conducted by an independent ﬁrm and proposes changes that reﬂect the District’s esƟmated cost of providing water service. If adopted, the proposed changes to rates, fees, and charges would take effect for water billed on or aŌer January 1, 2018, and may apply to water used as early as the beginning of December 2017. The rate structure has two basic components: (1) ﬁxed monthly charges and (2) variable monthly rates, fees, and charges, which are based on water consumpƟon. The ﬁxed fees and charges are calculated to recover the cost of operaƟng and maintaining the public water system and are based on the customer class and size of the water meter serving the record owner or customer of record. Fixed charges include the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) and San Diego County Water Authority (CWA) fee, and the District’s System Charge. The variable rates, fees, and charges are consumpƟon based and include, but are not limited to, supply, treatment, and transportaƟon costs. Variable rates, fees, and charges generally impose greater charges as the level of consumpƟon increases. Variable components of the bill include the Water Rate and Energy Charge. The ﬁxed and variable components are calculated to recover the proporƟonate cost of providing the service aƩributable to each class of customer. The District will also consider authorizing, for a period of ﬁve years, passing through to customers the increased or decreased costs imposed by the District’s water suppliers including, but not limited to MWD, CWA, and the City of San Diego. If adopted, the average customer’s water rates, fees, and charges will be adjusted annually for all increased or decreased costs and charges from the District’s wholesale water suppliers. The purpose of the hearing is to consider all wriƩen protests against the proposed rates, fees, and charges that, if approved, will be imposed on properƟes served by the District. Any changes to rates, fees, and charges subsequently imposed by the District will be subject to a 30‐day prior wriƩen noƟce, but will not be subject to addiƟonal hearings or protests. In addiƟon to the wholesale pass‐through costs, the District will consider authorizing, for a period of ﬁve years, average increases in rates, fees, and charges not to exceed 10 percent per year, for all costs related to labor, beneﬁts, materials, energy, maintenance, administraƟve expenses, and other operaƟonal costs of providing water service including, but not limited to, amounts required to meet bond covenants and to maintain adequate reserves and rate stability. WHY ARE YOU RECEIVING THIS NOTICE? As the record owner of a property idenƟﬁed to be subject to the imposiƟon of proposed rate, fee, or charge increases, you may submit a wriƩen protest against the proposed acƟons. Provided, however, if the idenƟﬁed property has more than one record owner, only one wriƩen protest for the property will be counted. Each protest must be in wriƟng and include: (1) the speciﬁc rate, fee, and/or charge for which the protest is being submiƩed in opposiƟon; (2) the locaƟon of the idenƟﬁed property (by assessor’s parcel number or street address); and, (3) the original signature of the record owner submiƫng the protest. Protests submiƩed by email, facsimile, or other electronic means will not be accepted. WriƩen protests may be submiƩed by mail to the Board Secretary, Otay Water District, 2554 Sweetwater Springs Blvd., Spring Valley, CA 91978, or in person at the public hearing, as long as they are received prior to the conclusion of the public hearing. Please idenƟfy on the front of the envelope for any protest, whether mailed or submiƩed in person to the Board Secretary, that the enclosed leƩer is for the Public Hearing on the Proposed Rates, Fees, and Charges for Water Service. At the conclusion of the public hearing, the Board of Directors will consider adopƟng the proposed acƟons as described in this noƟce. Oral comments at the public hearing will not qualify as formal protests unless accompanied by a wriƩen protest. If, at the close of the public hearing, wriƩen protests against the proposed rate increase, fees, and charges are not presented by a majority of the record owners of the idenƟﬁed properƟes upon which they are to be imposed, the Board of Directors will be authorized to adopt the proposed acƟons. If adopted, the rates, fees, and charges will apply to water service billed on or aŌer January 1, 2018 and may apply to water service used as early as the beginning of December 2017. This leƩer serves as a 45‐day noƟce of the hearing on the proposed rate changes, and as noƟce of the changes for water service billed on or aŌer January 1, 2018, if adopted. This noƟce is being provided to you by the District pursuant to the California ConsƟtuƟon ArƟcle XIII D (known as “ProposiƟon 218”). Under terms of ProposiƟon 218, the District is required to noƟfy the record owner of proposed changes to property‐related rates, fees, and charges such as water service. This leƩer serves as noƟce that the District will hold a public hearing to consider changes to its current water rates, fees, and charges. Si requiere asistencia en español con referencia a esta notificación, favor de llamar al 619-670-2222.