The City of Eureka (City) last performed a rate study for the water and sewer utilities in 2016 and implemented yearly rate increases for the five years, ending in 2021. Industry standards dictate that utility rates be reviewed at least every five years to ensure that utility rates accurately reflect the cost of running these funds in a self-sufficient manner. The City retained NBS in June 2016 to perform a rate study for both utilities, evaluate alternative rate structures, review how costs are allocated to customer classes, and address rate-related issues such as reduced water sales and changes in costs. Water and sewer connection fees were included in this study. This study has resulted in proposed rate increases largely due to the need to meet the new regulatory requirements imposed by the state on the Elk River Regional Sewer Treatment Facility and requirements resulting from recent litigation.
The City Council will hold a Public Hearing on December 19,2022 in the Council Chambers at Eureka City Hall regarding the adoption of the proposed rates. California Proposition 218 (Prop218) provides a process whereby residents can protest the proposed increases and prevent adoption by the City Council if protests are recorded for 50% +1 of the affected parcels. Protests must be submitted in writing and conform with the City's adopted procedures which can be found in Resolution 2010-51 (PDF). Protests must include the Assessor's Parcel Number (APN) for the affected parcel which can be found using the County's web GIS platform.
The documents listed below provide various levels of information regarding the proposed rates. There is a frequently asked question sheet (FAQS) which condense the information further depending on your level of interest.
