Amador County – The Amador Water Agency voted 5-0 Thursday to approve a balanced budget that made up for a $317,000 deficit, doing so without a rate increase in the Central Amador Water Project retail system. Later Thursday at a CAWP rate hearing, the board received what is believed to be enough protests to block the 3-year rate increase plan. David Evitt of Sutter Creek presented 1,691 signatures protesting the rate increase under Proposition 218 guidelines. Evitt and Martell resident Ken Berry led the signature drive, and Berry said they needed 1,313 signatures of the 2,625 customers to block the rate hike. The board voted 3-2 to count and verify the signatures, with Directors Terence Moore, Don Cooper and Gary Thomas in the majority. Moore said it was a legal requirement, and he also wanted to be able to tell the 1,000 customers who did not sign protests how many signatures won the protest. He said “if for some reason the protest fails, then the rate increase would go into effect,” but not this year, because it was not imposed in the budget.” He said he fully expected the protest to pass, and the board already approved a budget with no rate increase in CAWP. AWA’s balanced budget included 4 employee layoffs, and a pending 4 percent rate increase in the Amador Water System. Cooper said without a rate increase in CAWP retail, AWA reduces staff, service level and response time, “and there will be issue going forward that are totally unknown.” Board President Bill Condrashoff said he was convinced by testimony Thursday that AWA should not raise rates in CAWP, even if the protest failed. Vice President Debbie Dunn said “I don’t even know if this board will ask for verification,” and later made a motion to not verify signatures, but it failed for lack of a second. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Tuesday, 06 July 2010 06:29
AWA Balances Budget Without CAWP Rate Hike, Receives Prop 218 Protest
Written by Tom-
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Amador County – The Amador Water Agency voted 5-0 Thursday to approve a balanced budget that made up for a $317,000 deficit, doing so without a rate increase in the Central Amador Water Project retail system. Later Thursday at a CAWP rate hearing, the board received what is believed to be enough protests to block the 3-year rate increase plan. David Evitt of Sutter Creek presented 1,691 signatures protesting the rate increase under Proposition 218 guidelines. Evitt and Martell resident Ken Berry led the signature drive, and Berry said they needed 1,313 signatures of the 2,625 customers to block the rate hike. The board voted 3-2 to count and verify the signatures, with Directors Terence Moore, Don Cooper and Gary Thomas in the majority. Moore said it was a legal requirement, and he also wanted to be able to tell the 1,000 customers who did not sign protests how many signatures won the protest. He said “if for some reason the protest fails, then the rate increase would go into effect,” but not this year, because it was not imposed in the budget.” He said he fully expected the protest to pass, and the board already approved a budget with no rate increase in CAWP. AWA’s balanced budget included 4 employee layoffs, and a pending 4 percent rate increase in the Amador Water System. Cooper said without a rate increase in CAWP retail, AWA reduces staff, service level and response time, “and there will be issue going forward that are totally unknown.” Board President Bill Condrashoff said he was convinced by testimony Thursday that AWA should not raise rates in CAWP, even if the protest failed. Vice President Debbie Dunn said “I don’t even know if this board will ask for verification,” and later made a motion to not verify signatures, but it failed for lack of a second. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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