Water and Sewer Rates
In 2016, the City’s Comprehensive Plan is required to be updated and financially constrained, pursuant to the Growth Management Act. Individual Plan Elements (water, sanitary sewer, etc.) need to be updated, including adjustments to the Capital Improvement Plans (CIP) and associated fee structures. This Water & Sewer Gap Analysis provides the basis for discussion of this issue. The City contracted with Katy Isaksen & Associates (KI&A) to prepare the financial gap analysis with water and sewer rates necessary to fund a balanced and financially constrained CIP over the next six years.
KI&A worked with the City’s engineering consultants preparing the water and sewer updated capital improvement plans (BHC Consultants for Sewer and PACE Engineers for Water). These were reviewed with Public Works and Finance to identify those that were already included in the operating budget. KI&A developed funding plan alternatives for the improvements along with a six‐year rate outlook for each scenario. These scenarios were discussed with the Utilities Committee at five meetings along with other water usage and rate adjustment issues. KI&A presented the Gap Analysis and preferred scenario six‐year rate outlook to the City Council for consideration at three work study sessions.