Despite concerns
about adding to the high cost of living
at the South Shore, the South Tahoe
Public Utility District Board
unanimously voted to more than double
its connection fees over the next five
years.
The increase will apply to new
development and will help keep existing
ratepayers' quarterly bills from going
up, according to board members and STPUD
staff.
"The present customers end up paying
higher rates if you're not charging an
appropriate capacity fee," said Rhonda
McFarlane, STPUD's chief financial
officer.
The fees have not been increased since
1999, but construction costs have risen
since that time, according to STPUD
spokesman Dennis Cocking.
Two members of the audience at the
sparsely attended hearing Thursday
raised concerns about increasing fees
when people are moving off the hill
because of the higher cost of living.
| South
Tahoe Public Utility District
sewer-connection fees |
(Per
sewer unit)
Currently: $3,274
April 7, 2008: $3,660
Jan. 1, 2009: $4,250
Jan. 1, 2010: $4,930
Jan. 1, 2011: $5,720
Jan. 1, 2012: $6,640
Jan. 1, 2013: $7,700
Note: A minimum $50 permit fee
also is a component of STPUD
sewer connection fees and is not
included in these figures.
Source: South Tahoe Public
Utility District |
|
"I just wonder
how people wanting to move up here are
going to be able to afford it," said
Wanda Stanley, a STPUD employee who
spoke during the public-comment period
of the meeting.
The fee increase could affect current
ratepayers hoping to improve their
existing home, Stanley said. Connection
fees will not affect STPUD customers who
aren't planning to expand their current
home but will apply to current
residential and commercial ratepayers
looking to add a sewer unit.
For residential customers, sewer units
are bathrooms and kitchens.
Determining the number of sewer units
for businesses is more complicated and
typically is based on the number of
fixtures, McFarlane said Friday.
California requires the connection fees
to go toward sewer infrastructure
improvement, which includes STPUD's
wastewater collection, treatment and
export systems.
The state also recommends sewer
districts examine connection fees every
five years, so the connection fees are
likely to continue to go up after this
round of increases, Cocking said.
"I guarantee someone is going to have
this same discussion five years from
now," STPUD board member Eric Schafer
said during the meeting.
|
