The Hollister City Council voted Tuesday night to hike the
average resident’s water bill up about $20 every two months in
hopes of not only covering the water district’s operating costs,
but reducing residents’ water consumption to boot.
Before Tuesday’s council vote, the city’s water rates hadn’t
been adjusted since 1991, according to the Hollister Redevelopment
Agency’s Bryan Briggs.
Hollister – The Hollister City Council voted Tuesday night to hike the average resident’s water bill up about $20 every two months in hopes of not only covering the water district’s operating costs, but reducing residents’ water consumption to boot.
Before Tuesday’s council vote, the city’s water rates hadn’t been adjusted since 1991, according to the Hollister Redevelopment Agency’s Bryan Briggs.
“We need to raise the rates in order to pay for the delivery of the service. Right now if there’s any deficit, it comes out of the general fund,” he said.
After several months of public hearings attended by locals and business owners upset about the rising water costs, the council voted unanimously to adopt an increasing block rate schedule Tuesday. Under the new system, the more water a household or business uses, the more expensive their bills will be, similar to cellular phone companies charging customers based on the minutes they use each month.
For example, a single-family residence is now charged by the volume, measured in hundred cubic feet (HCF), of water it uses every two months based on three “blocks”:
Block 1, less than 30 HCF, will be charged $1.30 per HCF
Block 2, 31-50 HCF, will charge $1.49 for each additional HCF over 30
Block 3, equals $1.94 for each additional HCF over 50
The average single family uses about 33 HCF every month. Under the current rate structure, a typical users’ water bill costs about $100 every two months, after a flat meter service charge of $21.10 for the first 10 HCF and 92 cents for every HCF thereafter, according to Briggs. With the new rates, the average 33 HCF per month family should expect its rates to increase about $20 every two months.
“Basically what we’re saying is, this is a valuable resource,” said Briggs. “We took your average consumption rate and said if you use less than the average person, you’re going to get a better rate. And if you use more than the average person, you’re going to get dinged.”
Hollister currently has a uniform block rate through 100 HCF, meaning residents can essentially use as much water as they want and pay the same rate per HCF. But MuniFinancial, the firm that recently reviewed the city’s water rates, suggested an increasing block rate could discourage people from going overboard with their water consumption.
The new rates will take effect immediately, according to City Manager Clint Quilter. Rates will continue to increase by varying amounts each year through 2009.
The City of Hollister’s water distribution system currently serves a little more than 6,000 people both inside and outside the city limits.
Jessica Quandt covers politics for the Free Lance. Reach her at 831-637-5566 ext. 330 or at
jq*****@fr***********.com
.
