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The proposed recycled water fixed charge is the same as the City's potable water fixed <br />charge and is based on meter size. The proposed variable rate is $4.29 per CcF, <br />effective November 1, 2023. <br />Senior and Low-Income Discounts <br />The City currently offers a 20 percent discount on water and sewer rates for single- <br />family residents who qualify as a "senior" (age 65 or older) and provides a 30 percent <br />discount for residents who are eligible as a low-income family (those who qualify for <br />PG&E, PacBell, or cable television discounts through either the California Department <br />of Economic Opportunity or the Social Security Administration). Residents cannot apply <br />for both discounts. The City also limits both programs to a discount only if the <br />customer's bi-monthly water consumption is less than or equal to 30 CcF maximum <br />usage. These discount programs are funded through the City's General Fund and are <br />not funded by rates. In this first phase of rate increases, there is no proposed change to <br />the low-income and senior discount maximum usage of 30 CcF; however, with the <br />second phase of the rate study, staff will evaluate the maximum usage amount for <br />senior discounts to be in alignment with the City's water conservation efforts. There will <br />be an increased cost to the General Fund with these proposed rate adjustments. For <br />FY23, these programs totaled $260,000 from the General Fund. <br />Proposed Local Sewer Rate Increase <br />A Pleasanton sewer bill is comprised of the regional wastewater treatment component <br />either provided by DSRSD or the City of Livermore, the transport component provided <br />by LAVWMA (included in the treatment charges from DSRSD or the City of Livermore), <br />and finally, the local collection component provided by the City of Pleasanton. The <br />portions of the sewer bill associated with the cost of the treatment and transport <br />components are managed by DSRSD and the City of Livermore and said charges are <br />passed through to the customers by the City. The portion of the sewer bill associated <br />with the local collection system (pipes, pumps, labor) is managed by the City of <br />Pleasanton. <br />Local sewer service charges are developed to equitably allocate costs to users for asset <br />operation, pay for debt service incurred for the construction of sewer facilities, and <br />perform the necessary maintenance and repairs (or replacement) of the wastewater <br />collection system. The costs also include the labor and pumping charges associated <br />with the collection and pumping of raw sewage to the DSRSD and/or City of Livermore <br />treatment plants. The local portion of the current City rates represents approximately 33 <br />percent of the overall bi-monthly (60-day) sewer bill. <br />Annual Consumer Price Index Rate Adjustments <br />To have customers pay for the total cost of utility service operation in the Sewer Fund, <br />staff is recommending the proposed sewer rates become effective November 1, 2023, <br />for the first year, then annually increased based on the change in the consumer CPI — <br />All Urban Consumers for the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, CA area. The first year <br />of the proposed rates will be from November 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, following which <br />the City Manager is authorized and directed to increase these rates and charges based <br />upon the percentage change reflected in the annual CPI available as of March 31. The <br />Page 14 of 19