The Avalon City Council unanimously adopted higher sewer and salt water fees Tuesday night, June 18. The increase required a four-fifths vote to pass on the ordinance’s second and final appearance before the council.
In related news, the city is seeking “disadvantaged” status from the state and federal government to qualify for funds to help offset the cost of sewer improvements. See the story on this page.
The Avalon City Council unanimously adopted higher sewer and salt water fees Tuesday night, June 18. The increase required a four-fifths vote to pass on the ordinance’s second and final appearance before the council.
In related news, the city is seeking “disadvantaged” status from the state and federal government to qualify for funds to help offset the cost of sewer improvements. See the story on this page.
Interim City Manager/City Clerk Denise Radde said that the city had received five letters on the subject—four opposed to the increase and one in support.
That figure had not changed since the council introduced the ordinance increasing sewer and salt water rates on June 4.
At that meeting, Council Member Ralph Morrow urged the public to let the council know how they felt about the proposed increases.
At this week’s meeting, Radde said that it would have required 523 protest letters to stop the salt water fee increase and 621 letters to stop the sewer rate increase.
The rate increases are apparently necessary to cover the cost of state-mandated improvements to the city’s water systems.
The California Regional Water Quality Control Board has issued a cease and desist order that has forced Avalon to upgrade its system.
In a June 4 staff report, Radde said the cost of complying with the Water Board’s order has been conservatively estimated at $750,000 a year. Failure to comply could result in daily fines and a state government takeover of Avalon’s sewer system.
A June 18 staff report to the hospital Board of Trustees (the Avalon City Council by another name), said the Catalina Island Medical Center’s sewer had disintegrating iron pipes and obstruction problems. A “ball park” cost estimate dated May 13 said it would take $681,010 to repair the Medical Center’s 54-year-old sewer system.
On Tuesday, June 18, Morrow said the state was looking at Avalon and if the city did not take action, that might have a negative impact on the city.
Mayor Bob Kennedy said it was difficult to get grant money from an agency if the city hadn’t done anything.
Council Member Michael Ponce said then-Chief Administrative Officer Charles Wagner brought the same proposal to the council last year and the council did not approve it.
Morrow said he was going to vote for the fee increases. “We have to do this,” he said. “Normally, I’d vote no, but not (on) this one.” According to Morrow, the council needed to show that Avalon is doing as much as it can to deal with the cost of improving the water systems.
Kennedy said that Avalon’s water quality has improved, but the water systems still needed work. “We keep finding things,” he said, apparently referring to problems in the sewer system.
Kennedy said they were making great strides in improving the water quality; unfortunately, funding sources that were available in the past have dried up. As previously reported, the annual residential sewer rate will increase by $43.27 per home. Public showers will cost $14.36 more per shower. The rate for each hotel room will go up $21.73 a year.
The sewer rate for offices and shops will go up $43.27 a year. Restaurant sewer fees will go up depending on whether they are take out restaurants, bars/restaurants that seat less than 100 customers or bars/restaurants that seat more than 100 customers.
The larger restaurants that seat more than 100 customers will see sewer fees go up $194.55 a year.
Saltwater service fees will increase by $18.61 a year for homeowners; $12.42 per hotel room and by $12.42 for each toilet at commercial establishments. In a related action, the council voted unanimously to have the fee increases placed on the Los Angeles County Auditor’s tax rolls.
