I am on the notice list for the city council and so I receive the agenda about a week ahead of each meeting. Next week’s agenda had a huuuge surprise – Mayor Mark Sorensen has a request up to agendize a discussion about the Cal Water Rate hike.
“Friday, August 21, 2015 8:02 AM – I do hereby request to add to a future agenda a presentation and discussion of California Water Service Company’s rate cases filed with the California Public Utilities Commission, and the subject of district consolidation. Thanks! Mark Sorensen “
Pardon my surprise, but I’ve been including Sorensen in my inquiries about this rate increase filing ever since July 8, when I sent him the article from Market Watch announcing the application. But he never responded, so I didn’t have any idea what he was thinking.
I wish people would contact Sorensen now, immediately, and tell him we want the city to become an “Intervenor,” which means a formal protest of this rate hike. The county has become “a party,” which means they get notices of what is happening with this case, but in order to make a protest, they have to file for “Intervenor status.”
It’s easy enough to become a party, just file the paperwork. The paperwork for Intervenor is a little more complicated. A CPUC employee admitted to me that we’d be better off having our county or city counsel fill out this paper work. The requirements are vague, there’s a disclaimer that states if you don’t cross your t’s and dot your i’s correctly your application could get round-filed.
Write to the full council – send it through Clerk Debbie Presson, that’s makes it formal. That’s debbie.presson@chicoca.gov
Tell them we want a full protest of this rate hike, the consolidation, and the other items listed by the Office of Ratepayers Advocates, which were not listed on the notice sent out to Cal Water customers. One thing they’re asking for is elimination of the 10% cap on WRAM. I sent that notice to Sorensen, as well as the notice from the city of Visalia, which has gained Intervenor status on behalf of their district.
It’s time to PUSH!
Chico Taxpayers Association 