By Mate Gaspar
I have prepared a response to a story that appeared yesterday in thefrontpageonline.com about the sewer charge, as discussed at Monday evening’s City Council meeting.
You wrote: Over the protests of dozens of residents, the City Council ordered imposition of a densely defined sewer user’s service charge, which feels like a tax to customers.
The annual fee increase from the present $42 could range as high as $254, depending on the quantity of water usage.
Actually, there were about 40 written protests and two speakers against the recommended revision and increase to the sewer charge formula.
As an example for one customer class, single family residences, the old sewer charge was $42.32 + (W x $3.85) with a 42 percent credit for landscape irrigation. The new sewer charge is $254 + (W x $1.17) with a 42 percent credit for landscape irrigation for them.
The annual sewer charge for the average single-family property owners will increase by $25 a year, or $2 a month, or about 8 percent a year. The last increase was six years ago.
Mate Gaspar, P.E., Engineering Services Manager, Public Works Dept., Engineering Division, Culver City, may be contacted at mate.gaspar@culvercity.org
