Water rate study coming in November

<p>The city's comprehensive study on its water and wastewater rates is now set to be released in November, and will not enter into the campaigns for and against Measure U, the proposed wastewater rate rollback.</p><p>The study, which will analyze rates charged of customers and how much is realistically needed to operate utilities, was commissioned in June 2009 and was originally due this July.</p><p>“I don't think that's something we're going to get before November,” said City Manager John Brown.</p><p>The delay is due in part to a change in leadership in the water department, where interim director Pamela Tuft took over for Mike Ban in April, said Brown. As well, the consultant doing the study was asked to analyze the potential impacts of Measure U, taking time away from work on the larger study, said Brown. That data has been released in various staff reports to the City Council.</p><p>“We hope it will be ready for council review in November if not late October,” said Tuft about the larger study.</p><p>The consultant, the Sacramento-based Reed Group, was asked to analyze the city's water and wastewater rates, the schedule of water-related capital improvement projects, and the funding for those projects, including how much money must be borrowed, paid up front, or paid with development fees. Representatives for the Reed Group did not return calls for comment on the study's progress.</p><p>Bryant Moynihan, co-founder of Petalumans for Fair Utilities Rates and spearheading the campaign for Measure U, said that he believes the study is already done and the city is withholding the information to cripple his campaign for lower rates. He cited a charge to the Reed Group in city documents, saying that it has been paid for the work.</p><p>Moynihan said he believes that the November date for the study — after the election — is telling.</p><p>“I'm sure it's just a pure coincidence,” he said sarcastically.</p><p>City leaders said that there is no draft and that they cannot release partial information because it may be incorrect.</p><p>“I haven't seen a draft at this point in time, but I'm certainly working with the consultant as he works on various sections of it,” said Tuft.</p><p>The city also plans to seek bids for a study on its storm drain maintenance funds. Moynihan claims that water rate revenue is improperly being used to fund storm drain maintenance. But Brown said that storm drains help prevent storm water infiltration into the water system, and is a valid use of the funds. Two proposals are currently out to look at the management of the funds.</p><p>(Contact Philip Riley at philip.riley@arguscourier.com)</p>