From our friends at Marysville for Reasonable Water Rates
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Marysville-For-Reasonable-Water-Rates/176321489194208?fref=nf
MARYSVILLE IS LOOKING AT AN EXTRA $846 CAL WATER CHARGE PER HOUSEHOLD/BUSINESS
PLEASE SHARE!!!!!!
First the good news: The Marysville City Council voted 5-0 for Intervener Status in this General Rate Case for Cal Water. That means the City will formally oppose the rate increase. FINALLY the Marysville City Council is taking a strong stand.
The numbers just didn’t add up in Cal Water’s presentation before the council. They never do. (Like they constantly say the average water bill in Marysville is $39.) The audience and the Council questioned it.
Mayor Samayoa asked some very pointed questions. The Mayor called them on the numbers not adding up. Power Point slides were not matching the words coming out of their mouths. Let’s just say….coming to Marysville does not mean that you are in PO-DUNK, USA. We are not as stupid as they would like us to be.
During the Cal Water presentation they explained that every ratepayer in Marysville will be looking at an extra $846 charge for infrastructure. They tout that they have been serving Marysville for over 80 years. Where has the money gone? To those huge million dollar salaries for their executives? To support the San Jose Corp building? To the Cal Water Shareholders? Obviously not into our pipes and infrastructure.
This $846 charge will be per household/business. It will not pay for a drop of water. It is to pay for repairs and upgrades that should have been done over the past 80 years.
Councilman Simmons asked a very good question. He asked if the other cities that Cal Water is proposing to “combine” with Marysville (as one unit to establish rates) do not meet their conservation quota, does that mean that all of the cities in that unit will be penalized (WRAM etc)? Cal Water did not answer with words. Councilman Simmons’ question was met with silence. So, the answer would be YES!! If another city has major repairs or updates, that would impact the rates in Marysville.
Marysville needs to fight back. We cannot leave that fight up to the City Council. The people have to finally get lathered-up and speak-up. A Formal Complaint to CPUC will take the signatures of 40 plus ratepayers. Are ya ready to sign?
We will begin gathering information for the steps to take back our water system. Stay tuned here for updates.
Wouldn’t it be great if Mayor Mark Sorensen and the Chico City Council would take a stand too?
Write to Mayor Sorensen at mark.sorensen@chicoca.gov and ask him to agendize this discussion.
Chico Taxpayers Association 
I doubt our city council would take on Cal Water in any way. Cal Water is a government sanctioned monopoly. Just another set of trough feeders, like our city council. The are all in one big club.
And did you see Michael Jone’s letter in the Snooze? (The opinion section at their web site had no letters this week so you have to go the flipbook version or get the paper.) Debbie Presson makes 200k a year he said. I couldn’t believe it so I looked it up on Transparent CA. She actually makes 203K a year with around 69k in benefits. Sounds like she is going to have one hell of a pension.
I don’t know all of what Debbie does but over 200K for a city clerk??? After having that job for 20 or 30 years when you factor in her pension and medical she’s going to walk away a multi-millionaire. This is completely insane.
How are things like this going to be funded? You’d better believe the trough feeders are going to be trying to grab your wallet in the next election.
I’m afraid you’re right about the city and Cal Water. Chico has a sweetheart relationship with the utility companies.
Thanks for the heads-up on Michael Jones’ letter, I’ll give it a look. I had not seen the flipbook edition before, weird.
Yes, Presson gets an outrageous package, especially given that she cut her staff by two or three people to get that salary, and has the nerve to complain she can’t keep up with the workload.
Now the letters to the editor are available in the opinion section. Earlier today they weren’t.
Well, thanks for the heads-up yesterday, I went over to the flipbook and read Michael Jones’ letter.
The N&R is a quick read, but I like to see who’s saying what in the letters section, thanks Bob.