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FINANCIAL STATEMENT <br /> The City's expenditure for garbage service is budgeted at $535,000 for Fiscal Year <br /> 2023/2024. Additionally, the City will receive from PGS an estimated $1,185,786 — <br /> $1,200,329 in franchise fees in Fiscal Year 2023/2024 depending on the rate set by the <br /> City Council. <br /> BACKGROUND <br /> On March 20, 2018, the City Council approved a Franchise Agreement with PGS for <br /> solid waste, recyclable materials, and organic materials collection services which <br /> commenced on July 1, 2018. The Franchise Agreement was amended to comply with <br /> Senate Bill (SB) 1383 on June 7, 2022. The Franchise Agreement outlines the <br /> processes for annual rate adjustments which includes an index-based rate adjustment <br /> and a cost-based rate adjustment. July 1, 2023, begins rate period six which <br /> incorporates an index-based rate adjustment. As stipulated in the Franchise Agreement, <br /> all rates are set by the City Council. <br /> Due to the special rate adjustment performed for rates effective January 1, 2023, a new <br /> cost basis of$31,961,907 was established in place of the rate period 5 cost basis of <br /> $31,727,125. This new cost basis is the amount which the projective revenue <br /> requirement must be compared to when calculating the coming increase in rates, as the <br /> new cost basis reflects the rate increases and annualized revenues that the mid-year <br /> special rate adjustment is set to generate. This adjustment of the cost basis results in <br /> the adjustment being lowered from PGS's requested 8.1 percent to 7.3 percent. <br /> The Franchise Agreement stipulates in Section 6 of Exhibit H that the City has the <br /> option of capping a rate increase at 6 percent. The City may defer (carry-forward) the <br /> excess of a 6 percent rate increase to be applied in the subsequent rate period. The <br /> City may elect to carry forward a portion of or the entire excess increase above 6 <br /> percent. <br /> DISCUSSION <br /> Index-based rate adjustment <br /> As noted, rate period six stipulates the use of an index-based rate adjustment. PGS <br /> applied for a rate adjustment on March 28, 2023. City staff and the City's consulting <br /> firm, HF&H, reviewed the application and determined that the calculation of the index- <br /> based rate adjustment was correct, and HF&H provided a letter of findings which notes <br /> the application indicates that an 8.1 percent indexed rate increase was calculated and <br /> after adjustment for the mid-year special rate adjustment, the rate increase required is <br /> 7.3 percent. (Attachment 1). <br /> Based on staff and HF&H's review and adjustments, the current rate increase is 7.3 <br /> percent. If the City does not want to enforce the 6 percent cap, the rates will increase by <br /> the entire 7.3 percent. If the City elects to use the 6 percent cap, the City may carry- <br /> forward $417,786 for rate period seven, or approximately 1.3 percent. Another option <br /> discussed by the City Council Waste and Recycling Subcommittee was applying a cap <br /> Page 2 of 7 <br />