Stop Crazy High Water Prices
This is what crazy high water prices causes.
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In November of 2021, a new City Council was elected that had 5 members that advocated lower water rates. While in Spring of 2022 Council lowered water rates, in October Council increased them. I voted "No" in the 6 to 1 vote to raise water rates. I think my colleagues were scared into raising the water rates.
The fear that my colleagues have has been instilled in them by our city staff. Our staff has misled our Council. Our city staff wants a new water plant on Westminster Boulevard so badly, they will do anything and everything to get city council to OK those plans. While the new council asked for a reassessment of the Water 2025 plans with four alternatives, City staff presented Council with four alternatives but two were given impossible requirements to overcome (one had legal entanglements and one had ridiculous price). Of the remaining two alternatives, one was a scaled down version that staff wanted (staff called it "Right Sized") at $196 million and 15MGD capacity and one was fixing the existing plant at $172 million and a capacity of 44MGD.
At our January 23rd , 2023 Ciy Council meeting all four version/options were confirmed to last 50 years and beyond, on February 6th (two weeks later) staff told City Council the current plant (Semper) would only last 10 to 20 years. What had changed in the two weeks that made our existing plant unable to last for 50 years? NOTHING. So either staff lied to Council for that entire year of the reassessment (letting us think Semper could be fixed) or staff lied on February 6, 2023 saying it could not be fixed.
If staff gets away with lying to Council so that fear restricts our choice to only a new plant, borrowing $196 million dollars at 3% interest (a special, tax-advantaged, municipal rate) for 20 years, will cost ratepayers $2.15 just on the interest and principal we pay for each 1,000 gallons (a kgal) of water we sell (Westminster sells about 6 million kgals of water each year).
The fear that my colleagues have has been instilled in them by our city staff. Our staff has misled our Council. Our city staff wants a new water plant on Westminster Boulevard so badly, they will do anything and everything to get city council to OK those plans. While the new council asked for a reassessment of the Water 2025 plans with four alternatives, City staff presented Council with four alternatives but two were given impossible requirements to overcome (one had legal entanglements and one had ridiculous price). Of the remaining two alternatives, one was a scaled down version that staff wanted (staff called it "Right Sized") at $196 million and 15MGD capacity and one was fixing the existing plant at $172 million and a capacity of 44MGD.
At our January 23rd , 2023 Ciy Council meeting all four version/options were confirmed to last 50 years and beyond, on February 6th (two weeks later) staff told City Council the current plant (Semper) would only last 10 to 20 years. What had changed in the two weeks that made our existing plant unable to last for 50 years? NOTHING. So either staff lied to Council for that entire year of the reassessment (letting us think Semper could be fixed) or staff lied on February 6, 2023 saying it could not be fixed.
If staff gets away with lying to Council so that fear restricts our choice to only a new plant, borrowing $196 million dollars at 3% interest (a special, tax-advantaged, municipal rate) for 20 years, will cost ratepayers $2.15 just on the interest and principal we pay for each 1,000 gallons (a kgal) of water we sell (Westminster sells about 6 million kgals of water each year).
Westminster does not need a new water plant!
Call the city Council Comment Line and let Council hear your opinion- 303-706-3111 - This is a 24hour, automated line and your comments will be played in public during the City Council meeting.