LAKEPORT ? Ratepayers in Lucerne got the unanimous support of the Lake County Board of Supervisors Tuesday when the board adopted a resolution to oppose a 21.3 percent water rate hike proposed by the California Water Service Company (Cal Water).
Acting as the board of directors for the Lake County Redevelopment Agency (RDA), the supervisors took input from three Lucerne citizens and briefly discussed long-term solutions for ongoing rate increases proposed in the area. Administrative analyst Doug Willardson called the amount of the proposed rate increase “excessive.” The resolution to fight the rate hike will go before the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) in hearings this week.
“This is relevant to the redevelopment agency because an excessive rate increase on water in Lucerne would definitely impact our ability to eliminate blight in the community,” RDA director Kelly Cox said.
“It”s a disgrace to me, and it”s a disgrace to see other people”s lawns in such terrible shape,” Lucerne resident Louise Talley said. Talley said her family of four pays a $200 water bill and does not water plants. “We can”t afford to lose out on what we”ve worked for, which is to get the county a beautiful area to do redevelopment and to bring in tourist dollars,” Talley said.
“In this situation, we have a town that is predominantly on a fixed or low income and a major incorporation going through a process that is normal, to ask for rate increases including administrative costs and things in the corporate office,” Dist. 3 Supervisor Denise Rushing said. Lucerne is in Rushing”s district, which has been the focus of the redevelopment agency”s effort to eliminate blight in the region.
Supervisor Rob Brown asked Rushing if adopting the resolution was the strongest action the board could take.
“The answer is that at his point, yes. The strongest action would be to intervene and send an attorney to advocate for the citizens of Lucerne. We talked about that a while back, and that”s difficult to do, staff-wise,” Rushing said.
“I”m all for competition, but there”s no competition here. Cal Water has a monopoly there, and they are raising rates as they see necessary, and it”s definitely not beneficial to users there,” Brown said. He suggested contacting other communities that Cal Water serves to pursue a class action initiative.
Supervisor Anthony Farrington suggested contacting state legislators to add influence to the board”s resolution, or to adopt a similar one. Rushing said there said that a “set of steps should be taken long-term,” including finding out if Cal Water could cut off water supply to a low-income household for not paying a bill, and what percentage of the community might be in danger if that was true.
“I wish there was more of a real solution ? I don”t know how we would do the funding ? but why don”t we buy the water company and make it a publicly-owned water company,” supervisor Ed Robey said.
Rushing said money was in the county budget for an analysis, “but it will require much effort; water companies do not surrender territory easily.”
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