Lebec County Water District
Proposition 218 Notification
Notice of Public Hearing

Water Rate Adjustment Hearing location: Zoom Meeting (Meeting can be accessed by logging in to Zoom meeting or by phone) Zoom Meeting ID: 84133500202 Passcode: 034546 or Phone in at: (669) 900-6833. You will need Meeting ID and Passcode to phone in.

This letter is to advise you that the Lebec County Water District is proposing a water rate adjustment for all users connected to the Lebec County Water District water system. The proposal will be considered by the Board of Directors at a Public Hearing on February 3, 2022, at 6pm. In an effort to protect our community and in keeping with recommended social distancing practices in the face of COVID, the public hearing will be held online. You are receiving this notice in compliance with the California Proposition 218 requirement that all impacted property owners be mailed notice of proposed rate changes at least 45 days prior to a public hearing.

If you have any questions in regard to this notice, please call lebec County Water District Monday through Friday, between the hours of 8:00am-3:30pm at (661) 248-6872.

BASIS OF PROPOSED RATE ADJUSTMENT
Lebec County Water District (LCWD) is required by State law and Board policy to collect revenues sufficient to fund current and future costs of operating, maintaining, and administering the existing water facilities as well as to fund the capital improvements and infrastructure replacement program. These revenues allow LCWD to protect public health and safely and to reliably convey and treat water. By State law, LCWD may not collect more revenue than is necessary to recover the costs of providing services. The proposed rates were developed through a comprehensive Water Rate Study designed to meet a Illegal requirements and fairly and equitably recover the required revenue. The Water Rate Study, which provides a detailed explanation of the projected inflationary impact on operating costs, was prepared by Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) and is available for review by the public on the LCWD website (lebecwater.com).

WHY LEBEC COUNTY WATER DISTRICT WATER RATE MUST BE ADJUSTED
Customer rates are the primary source of revenue to operate the LCWD water system. These rates generate the revenue to operate the system and invest in necessary upgrades. Despite the continuing increase in costs to operate the water system LCWD has not adjusted water rates since 2016, resulting in operating losses and the inability to fully fund reserve accounts for emergencies, operating and capital improvements/replacements. To continue LCWD’s long tradition of providing reliable water services to our customers, rate increases are necessary to cover increasing operational costs and save for future system replacements and improvements.

WHAT STEPS DID Lebec County Water District TAKE TO REDUCE COST BEFORE CONSIDERING INCREASING CUSTOMER RATES?
LCWD conducted a comprehensive line by line review of the budgetary expenditures to maximize available resources and reduce operational costs to a minimum. Some of the cost cutting measures included reducing recommended emergency and operating reserves amounts and a comprehensive evaluation of general overhead expenses.

RATE ADJUSTMENT HEARING PROCEDURE
All property owners, water customers of LCWD and other interested persons are invited to attend the hearing and present written and/or oral comments. As an owner or water customer of record of a parcel subject to the imposition of the proposed rate adjustments, you may submit a written protest against the proposed rate changes. Only one written protest will be counted per identified parcel.

Written protests must include:
• Your signature and date
• Your name typed or printed under the signature
• The assessor’s parcel number or street address ofthe property; and
• An affirmation that you are the owner or water customer of record of the property
• Only one protest will be allowed per parcel

Written protests will not be accepted by e-mail or fax. Verbal protests will not be counted. Protests must be received (not postmarked) prior to the close of the public hearing. Written protests may be submitted to:

Delivered in Person
Lebec County Water District
323 Frazier Mtn. Park Road,
Lebec CA 93243

Submitted by Mail
Lebec County Water District
PO Box 910
Lebec CA 93243

Lebec County Water District, after the close of the public hearing and provided that written protests from a majority of properties subject to the increased rates has not been received, will adopt the rates. The rates will not exceed the increases set forth herein. The adoption may not take place at the February 3, 2022, meeting if time is needed to verify and count the letters of protest. It may occur at a subsequent Council meeting.

PROPOSED MONTHLY RATE SCHEDULE
The water base rate will be increased as set forth on the following table beginning on March 1, 2022) and will increase by 3.8% for four subsequent years. The final adjustment under this schedule will be implemented no later than March 1, 2026. Any subsequent rate adjustments that increase rates will be subject to a Proposition 218 hearing.

PROPOSED MONTHLY RATE SCHEDULES
(see these provided in the image gallery provided at right)

In an effort to provide transparency, information will be available as noted at Lebec County Water District’s Business Office located at 323 Frazier Mtn. Park Road, Lebec CA 93243 and online at lebecwater.com.

“Water is One of life’s Precious Resources”
Lebec County Water District • 323 Frazier Mtn. Park Road • PO Box 910 • lebec, CA 93243
Office: (661) 248-6872 • Fax (661) 248-6439 • Email: lebecwater@att.net • Website: www.lebecwater.com

This is part of the December 24, 2021 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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