FULLERTON : Council Postpones Water Rate Vote

Angry residents and worried business leaders persuaded the City Council on Tuesday night to postpone a proposed 6% water rate increase until the council makes a greater effort to hear from its opponents.

“This proposed increase is supposed to start today and there’s been no public input,” said Thomas O’Neill, who is suing the city over a 2% utility tax passed despite public opposition last summer.

“What’s going on?” he asked.

After listening to a handful of upset residents, the council postponed its vote on the increase until March 1.

“I see no big need to rush it,” said Councilman Don Bankhead.

In the meantime, Councilwoman Molly McClanahan suggested the city hold workshops for the public about the rate increase and meet with the Chamber of Commerce to discuss its impact on business.

The proposed increase would raise the average bimonthly residential water bill from $42.30 to $44.84, consultant William Ferry of Brown & Caldwell told the council.

Ferry recommended two additional water rate increases that would total 19% during the next two years.

All three increases are meant to raise $3 million for water main repairs in the downtown area and to replenish cash reserves in case of drought, fire and other emergencies, Ferry said. Without the increase, he predicted the city’s current $2.75-million reserve would be depleted by late 1995.

While Ferry promised the council that Fullerton would still have one of the lowest water rates in the county even with the increase, opponents were not so easily persuaded.

Snow Hume, who is leading a recall drive against several City Council members because of the utility tax, said the rate increase would pay for higher city operating costs, not the actual cost of water. He told the council to trim the city budget rather than increase rates.

“Control costs and don’t raise the rates,” said Hume, who was applauded after he spoke. In particular, Hume pointed to city water meter readers and secretaries who make around $30,000 per year. The salaries, he said, are outrageously high and should be slashed to save money.

Terry Kerr, president-elect of the Fullerton Chamber of Commerce, said he too is concerned about the increase and suggested raising the base rate on all water bills as an alternative.

Kerr’s proposal would apply to everyone, regardless of water use, and would end up benefiting larger water consumers and hurting smaller ones, Ferry said.