Hearing scheduled on proposed Mesa Water District rate hikes

With decision day for a proposed set of rate increases less than a week away, Mesa Water District board members say they’re looking forward to hearing from the public and hope customers take time to study the issue.

Board members will hold a public hearing Thursday on a proposal to raise rates by as much as 5% a year for the next five years.

The increases would apply both to the fixed charges customers pay for their water meters and the cost of the amount of water they use.

During a meeting last week at the Mesa Water Reliability Facility on Gisler Avenue, district General Manager Paul Shoenberger gave the board a handout detailing “public hearing best practices,” including creating an environment of respect and trust, promoting decorum, actively listening to comments and managing time efficiently.

“I expect that it will be a large turnout for the hearing and I’m glad that staff has provided the support and the suggestions for dealing with [that],” said board President Jim Atkinson.

The hearing will begin at 6 p.m. at Mesa Water’s headquarters, 1965 Placentia Ave., Costa Mesa.

Board member Marice DePasquale said it’s vital that the board runs a tight meeting to make sure everyone gets an equal chance to speak.

Board member James Fisler said he welcomes community input but hopes residents “do their homework” on the issue and read the district’s detailed rate study, which is available at mesawater.org/news/2017-rates-study.

“I know we’re going to hear some comments [such as] ‘I don’t like to have rates raised,’” Fisler said. “That’s not new information. It’s not going to help me find a solution, because no one wants that. … What we’re trying to do here is see the future and do the math.”

Mesa Water officials have said the proposed increases are necessary to counter recent and expected increases in water supply costs, which account for about 30% of the district’s annual expenses.

The price the district pays for recycled water is set to increase from the current $478.40 per acre-foot to $738 next year, according to Mesa Water.

The assessment Mesa Water pays to the Orange County Water District to pump groundwater also is expected to jump from $294 per acre-foot in 2015 to $625 by 2023.

Mesa Water also has seen lower sales revenue due to conservation efforts that began during the recent drought, according to Shoenberger.

Under the proposed rate increases, the usage charge for potable water would increase from $3.62 per unit — a unit is equal to 748 gallons — to $3.86 next year. It would rise steadily in subsequent years, eventually reaching $4.72 per unit by 2022.

Though meter charges vary depending on the size of a meter, typical ratepayers would see their bimonthly payments rise from the current $23 to about $30 in five years.

The cost of recycled water also would go up, from $1.82 per unit now to a maximum of $3.08 in 2022.

luke.money@latimes.com

Twitter @LukeMMoney