H.B. council delays vote on proposed water rate hikes and fee that drew hundreds of protest letters

The Huntington Beach City Council delayed voting Monday night on proposed water rate increases and a new fee to help replace aging water infrastructure.

The plans drew hundreds of protest letters from local residents.

At City Manager Fred Wilson’s suggestion, the council agreed to put off the vote until April 2 because Councilman Patrick Brenden was absent. The proposed higher rates need five affirmative votes from the seven-member council to take effect.

The city Finance Commission is expected to review the proposal and make a recommendation before the next council meeting.

The proposed capital improvement fee that would be used to fund water infrastructure projects would mean a $3-per-month charge for most single-family residences. The fee would increase by 50 cents every two years, eventually reaching $4 by 2022. It is expected to generate about $3.7 million the first two years.

Combined with rate increases, single-family households would see their water bills increase by nearly $5 a month if the plan is approved.

City staff said rate increases are necessary because some of the major components of Huntington Beach’s massive water infrastructure — which includes eight active wells, four reservoirs, 611 miles of large distribution mains, about 53,000 meter connections and 5,800 public hydrants — were built in the 1950s and ’60s and are reaching the end of their usefulness.

Upgrading water infrastructure is projected to cost the city $128.2 million over the next 20 years. City staff said that without the fee, it won’t have the money to complete all the necessary work.

Opponents, many of whom said they are senior citizens on fixed incomes, sent protest letters to the City Council last week saying a rate increase would be detrimental to them.

Resident Connie Ngo urged the council Monday to vote against the hikes, saying residents are already too strapped with the current cost of living.

“People work so hard. They don’t want any more stress,” she said. “I ask you to be considerate of the poor, of the elderly, of the lower middle class. You stand up and say no.”

hannah.fry@latimes.com

Twitter: @HannahFryTCN