Laserfiche WebLink
<br /> <br /> 4 4 <br /> <br />The length of the loan is 5 years, which is longer than the forecast period of 3 <br />years. When considering how much of the rate increase is for the loan, Raftelis <br />used only the amount that would be paid back during the 3-year forecast period. <br />11% represents the amount of the rate increase over the forecast period used to <br />pay back three years of the loan. The loan would still have two more years before <br />maturity. <br /> <br />15. Why not use a longer payback for the elements that have a longer useful <br />life? <br />As this is for Phase 1 of the rate study which addresses near term improvements <br />to the water system, this is included as short-term borrowing. <br /> <br />16. Could the rate increase be adjusted if the $6 million loan was provided by <br />the City's General Fund with no interest charged on repayment? What <br />would that look like (in dollars) for a typical customer on their bi-monthly <br />bill? Is it a yearly reduction of approximately 3.6% of the proposed rates <br />(spreading the 11% evenly across 3 years)? <br />If the debt is issued as a 0% interest rate loan, the rate increase in Year 3 could <br />be lowered from 12% to 10%. The bill impact is almost negligible for customers: <br />it decreases the fixed charge by approximately $0.15 and the commodity charge <br />by roughly $0.13, depending on the customer class. <br /> <br />11% represents the amount of the rate increase over the forecast period used to <br />pay back three years of the loan. It is not 11% per year, but 11% of the total. <br /> <br /> <br />Rate study report: <br /> <br />17. Explain why the 2019 rate study was delayed due to COVID and the <br />executive summary appears not to be fully updated? Similarly, the rate <br />study implies the 2019 work was done ‘culminating in 5 years’. <br />In 2019, the City contracted with Raftelis to conduct a five-year rate study. Due to <br />COVID and the subsequent suspension of the PFAS treatment and well <br />rehabilitation project, the rate study was also paused. On April 18, 2023, the City <br />Council approved a fourth amendment with Raftelis to re-initiate this rate study. <br /> <br />18. Why is the Raftelis rate study labeled draft? <br />Both the Public Hearing notice and the Raftelis water study report are marked <br />draft until the Council‘s initial consideration of the proposed rates. Following