LAKEPORT — The city received 640 valid written protests opposing its proposed water and sewer rate increases — a total that fell well short of the threshold that would have resulted in the proposal being automatically rejected.
The Lakeport City Council discussed the issue Tuesday evening but decided to continue its conversation until the Oct. 2 meeting. The council closed the public hearing Tuesday, which marked the protest deadline.
City Clerk Janel Chapman said she completed the verification process Friday afternoon.
The final count meant that approximately 26 percent of city parcels protested the proposal, which would phase in increases during the next three-plus years.
Additionally, the city received 178 invalid protests. Most of those were duplicates — multiple protests per parcel — while others were submitted by non-city residents or without an address or parcel number, Chapman said.
Had a majority of parcels submitted valid protests, the city proposal would have been rejected.
As it stands, the council could approve increases equal to or lower than the amounts set forth in the proposal, according to City Attorney Steven Brookes.
As currently recommended, the new water rate structure would nearly double the flat-rate service fees for residential customers by January 2016 and create a new tiered system for charges based on water usage.
The proposed water hikes would also affect commercial customers and those with duplexes, mobile homes, apartments and motels.
On the sewer side, residential customers in the north part of the city would see their flat rate more than double by January 2016. The charge for southern residents would increase by almost 60 percent during that time.
Residents do not pay a consumption charge for sewer. The sewer rate changes would also impact apartments and commercial buildings.
For more information, visit www.cityoflakeport.com.
