The Weekly Newspaper of El Segundo
Herald Publications - El Segundo, Hawthorne, Lawndale & Inglewood Community Newspapers Since 1911 - (310) 322-1830 - Vol. 108, No. 26 - June 27, 2019
Inside
This Issue
Certified & Licensed
Professionals.....................10
Classifieds............................4
Community Briefs...............5
Crossword/Sudoku.............4
Food.......................................5
Legals.............................. 6,10
Mattel Tea Party.................2
Real Estate....................7-9,ll
School Spotlight..................3
Herald Wins Business of the Year
Last week, Herald Publications CEO Heidi Maerker went to Sacramento to be honored at the State Legislature’s California Small Business Day™ 2019. From left to right, Lawndale Mayor Robert Pullen-Miles,
Assemblywoman Autumn Burke and Heidi Maerker. Herald Publications won Small Business of the Year for the 62nd Assembly District. Maerker was one of approximately 75 small business owners
honored out of 3.3 million in the State of California.
Sports....................................3 Water Rates About to Rise Again,
Weekend
Forecast
But Not as Much as Before
By Brian Simon
As part of an annual approved set of increases,
local water and sewer customers are
about to see their bills rise again –though not
as much as they did in previous years. The El
Segundo City Council authorized new water
and sewer rates in 2015 after a mandated
Proposition 218 ballot protest process fell short
of the required majority of customers needed
to stop the increases. The additional fees help
offset similar cost hikes imposed on the City
by outside agencies. The rate increases are set
to end in 2020. After that time, the Council
would have to send out a new round of protest
ballots should it want to impose additional
annual rate hikes in the future (which have
a maximum five-year shelf life/sunset clause
before expiring).
Finance Director Joe Lillio sent out letters
last month informing local water and sewer
customers of the latest rate revisions that kick
in on July 1, with various tables highlighting
the differences between the current and new
charges. For actual water consumption, the City
utilizes a four-tier rate structure that considers
the amount of water used per 100 cubic foot
(or one unit), with the vast majority of residents
running less than 20 units per billing cycle.
The good news: For single-family residences,
rates will remain the same in each of the tiers
as the past year. Tier 0-10 will continue to
pay $2.8200 per unit as of next month. Those
using in the 10-20 range will stay at $5.1900.
Lifeline members (who qualify to pay lower
rates based on falling below prescribed income
levels) in the 0-10 range currently pay $1.4100
and that will also stay put. And multi-family
and non-residential customers will see no
increases in their consumption rates.
Meanwhile the sewer fee, which has risen
on average by 5 cents a month each year and
is currently at the 73-cent-per-month level for
single-family residential customers, will not go
up either. The flat wastewater service fee will
stay at $6.60 for single-family residences that
have a three-quarter-inch meter. Those same
residential customers will also be happy to
note that their $16.63 monthly treatment fee
will not change.
However, residential customers will see one
key increase starting July 1: the capacity charge,
which is based on meter size. A typical resident
has a 5/8 x 3/4 meter. Those customers will see
the fixed rate swell to $11.95 from the current
$11.38, which amounts to a 5 percent increase.
Lifeline capacity rates will grow from $5.69 to
$5.98. Those with larger meters will also see 5
percent increases to their capacity charges on
their next bills. But given that the consumption,
sewer and other rates will not rise at all,
the most common residential customer would
only see their total bill go up by 57 cents per
month for consuming the exact same amount
of water as before.
Those who consume recycled water (certain
commercial/industrial customers) will also see
a rate increase of $35 a month for each of
their tiers (measured in acre feet). This is not
applicable to residential customers, who won’t
see this appear on their bills.
The Council decision to impose annual
increases spurred from 2014 independent
consultant studies on water and sewer rates to
determine total fixed and variable costs. The
reports concluded that if the City kept existing
rates as they were, it would not generate enough
revenues to support the operation and maintenance
of the water utility and related capital
improvements and equipment replacement. The
City’s goal was not to secure profits, but to
keep the system self-sustaining with just enough
overflow funds to cover emergency demands
and handle long-term repairs and equipment
upgrades. “The City has completed millions
of dollars of water and sewer infrastructure
improvement projects over the last few fiscal
years, including main replacements and major
pump station overhauls and consolidations,”
Lillio said. “These improvements were high
priorities under the current master plans, and
that strategy will continue over the coming
years in accordance with the recommendations
of this study.”
A study now underway will determine if the
current rates are sufficient to fiscally maintain
the water and sewer operations and meet all
capital needs for the next five years -- or if
those need further modification. The Council
will likely receive the report this fall and then
decide whether or not to take action. “Since
the City purchases 100 percent of its potable
water from West Basin MWD, which in turn
purchases potable water from the State Water
Project through MWD, the price fluctuations
See Water Rates, page 6
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