Challenging Sewer Fees

Re “Chick Getting Her Ducks in a Row for a Sewer-Fee Showdown,” July 26.

As one of many thousands of San Fernando Valley residents who are angry at being ripped off by exorbitant and unlawful sewer service charges, I want to commend Councilwoman Laura Chick for fighting “for passage of a new residential sewer rate system” that would be “more equitable for Valley residents.” Her new proposal would “calculate the sewer rate based on the amount of water actually used.”

Interestingly enough, over two years ago, council members Hal Bernson and Joel Wachs had a similar idea and initiated a request for an audit of the sewer service system charges. During a May 1 City Council meeting when Bernson asked Wachs what ever came of their request for such an audit, Wachs, to my amazement, candidly and courageously blurted out: “The city is being sued and the city attorney won’t let us go ahead with the audit because they think it will jeopardize our position because the suit that is being brought against us is going to reveal the very inequities we’ve been talking about!”

Hopefully, Chick, (along with Bernson and Wachs) who I believe is sincerely concerned with the gross inequities of the sewer service system, is fully prepared not only “to battle some of her colleagues” but the city attorney as well!

HARRIET K. BILFORD

Bilford is an attorney in Van Nuys