Archived News Release from 2006

For Immediate Release

City Considering Sewer Rate Increase – Community Invited to Public Hearing on June 26th

Redwood City, CA - June 13 , 2006 - As Redwood City’s sewage collection system and treatment facilities get older, they require upgrades, rebuilding, and ongoing maintenance. The City Council is considering a sewer rate increase in order to fund these improvements and the ongoing system maintenance. A public hearing on this rate increase proposal is scheduled for June 26th at 7 pm in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 1017 Middlefield Road.

All of Redwood City’s sewage treatment takes place at the South Bayside System Authority (SBSA), which also handles sewage treatment for Belmont, San Carlos, parts of unincorporated San Mateo County, and members of the West Bay Sanitary District. Every two months, residents and businesses in Redwood City pay a fee (their City utility bill) which pays for the City’s use of the SBSA sewage treatment facility and ongoing operation and maintenance of the City’s sewage collection system.

The rate increase is being proposed to pay for the necessary replacement, upgrade, and refurbishment projects at the SBSA sewage treatment facility, and to provide funding for much-needed improvements to the City’s sewage collection system, as well as ongoing maintenance and operation of that system. These improvements are necessary in order to best serve the community with sewage collection and treatment.

If approved by the Council, the rate increases would go into effect on August 25, 2006.

It is proposed that the minimum monthly residential Basic Service Charge increase from the current $26.27 to $33.00; the commercial Basic Service Charge is (for all commercial user categories) is proposed to increase from the current $26.27 to $33.00 (in addition to an increase in the “additional charges” for wastewater in excess of 1,000 cubic feet). More information is available at www.redwoodcity.org/water.

Notification of the proposed rate increase was sent to all City property owners in early May, providing a 45-day period within which formal protests to the increase could be submitted. During the June 26 th public hearing the Council will take community comment, consider the number of protests filed, discuss the issue, and potentially make a final decision. The Council could choose to continue the public hearing to a subsequent Council meeting for consideration of this rate increase. The Redwood City community is invited and encouraged to attend the public hearing and participate in the Council’s consideration of this increase.

Visit Redwood City’s award-winning website at www.redwoodcity.org for information about the City and its services, the community, recreation programs, education, and City government. Subscribe to Redwood City’s email newsletter by sending an email to e-news@redwoodcity.org

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Contact:
Marilyn Harang
Public Works Superintendent
(650) 780-7464