Going back to at least the 2010-2011 Finance Advisory Committee Work Plan, we see a section regarding the possible establishment of a City-wide sewer fee.
In the review of the Committee's Mission Statement and Recommendations, we find that: "In June, 2009, the City completed its Sanitary Sewer Master Plan Update, which identified needed improvements to the sanitary sewer system in the city.
Now, I am stopping to review a form notice that came in yesterday's mail.
A "Notice of Public Hearing" piece of mail form the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County. Property owners in Rancho Palos Verdes and other communities that are part of District No. 5 should have also received the announcement.
The Public Hearing is to take responses to the fact that the three-year contract for providing sanitary sewage treatment, and the current fees associated with that, are expiring.
Basically, the District wants to increase yearly fees from $130.00 per year, per single residential parcel and gather a two dollar increase each year, for the upcoming three year contract.
According to the notice, single family residential parcels have a current charge of $10.83 per month or $130 per year.
The suggestion is to raise the monthly fee by seventeen cents in the first year, bringing the monthly charge to $132.00 per year. In the second and third years, the charges will increase by two dollars per year, each. The final year's charges are suggested to be $136.00 per year.
It may be small increase, especially when considering the property values in our city.
Within the long, double sided notice is the statement that Cities can also impose fees or taxes for improvements in sanitary sewage elements within that city and that those fees or taxes are not associated with the increase rate requests documented in the announcement.
I checked our City's Web site and did not find any report or Council agenda item regarding more discussion about a city-wide sewer improvement fee or tax. But I know our city's staff has been tasked with creating a full report dealing with what would become a ballot measure for a municipal ordinance establishing possible a new fee or tax for our city's sanitary sewer improvements.
This is not a new idea and it does reflect a history with this current Council membership where members considered prior Councils to be less than active regarding infrastructure issues and some of our 'retiring' Council members have been outspoken about the lack of infrastructure improvements considered by prior Councils.
Possible we see again that the chickens have come home to roost with the consideration of making repairs and improvements not accomplished in the past, by others.
I knew this when I voted for Long, Stern, and Wolowicz in their first election and their reelection. It is one of the reasons I voted for the three members, both times. I do believe that prior Councils probably slept at the wheel of infrastructure improvements and we do have a sizable recent history of having to FINALLY deal with what should have been done, years ago.
Yet, we are now looking at increased charges from the Sanitation District and a vote to establish a separate sanitary sewer repair, maintenance, and improvement fee or tax.
Of course, whether we are a general law city or had we voted to become a charter city, any new fee or tax regarding new city fees or taxes must be approved by the voters.
My indications is that once the report is handed out by staff, the current City Council makeup will push to have the ordinance created and placed on the ballot, probably within the scope of this November's voting.
I will address both sets of increased charges or a city charge establishment in another post because I feel the residents of the Eastview area and those residents who know where Western Avenue is, have a larger need to learn more about than most others in our city.
One thing that will probably also add to the matters is that our city will replace the three Council members that originally campaigned on platforms surrounding the historical problems with infrastructure repair, prior to their election.
This being written, we will soon see a group of concerned residents campaigning to become members of our City Council.
I think it will be a good indication of how folks might consider each candidate is the stand those candidates take on a ballot measure establishing or increasing sanitary sewer fees or taxes.
I still can't get much information from city staff or others as to what a city-wide new fee or tax might be or look like. I do think it will come up soon, though.
The candidates for the upcoming Council election have more issues to contend with, as regards to other elections and other candidates.
Besides the aftermath of Measure C, here are some other issues candidates will need to have firm positions on, I feel:
Marymount's attempts to secure approval for on campus student housing.
"Discovery Park" by The Annenberg Foundation.
A new City Hall
San Ramon Canyon and other canyon issues.
Keeping city funds for city use
Ponte Vista at San Pedro
Other infrastructure issues
Land Use and Planning
Our General Plan
Relations with neighboring communities
Serving our residents first and foremost.
Everything else.
We seem to have become something of a 'scrappy' city, willing to take up issues other communities have no problem ignoring as long as they can. We saw that in our own past, it appears.
The best news out of all of this looks to be the fact that there are still residents who want and feel a need to join in the 'scrappyness' in Rancho Palos Verdes. It is just one of the things that makes us the best city on The Hill and in the South Bay. Those who care, really care.
We absolutely are democracy in action and I hope everyone is proud of that, whether I agree or disagree with positions taken by others.
Yes, we take the right and the responsibility to look inside a gift horse's mouth. We do that for the betterment of our residents and our city.
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