We asked you to vote “no” again!
For over a year, CAL had been following the City’s guidelines on how-to-vote-no on Prop 218. However, CC Special Meeting of June 13, 2018, MB City implemented a changed process for protesting proposed water/sewer rate increases, and mailed out their specific ballot to property owners and ratepayers.
CAL thanks ALL OF YOU for originally submitting CALs ballot, completely acceptable under the California State law (Prop 218). Whereby every Morro Bay every parcel owner AND/OR city water/sewer customer (renters — commercial, business and home) can submit a written protest in opposition to the rate increases. AND, we thank you for re-submitting written protest ballots to the City for the September 11, 2018, whereby MB City Council Meeting for Public Hearing — Proposition 218 RESULTED in 2,158 written protest ballots from MB citizens (including five withdrawals). There were an additional 1,000 written protests submitted at the Public Hearing which were not accepted by City Council. NONE of the protest ballots were validated.
***Agenda Item B-1 – PUBLIC HEARING for the ADOPTION OF RESOLUTION NO. 71-18 ESTABLISHING NEW WATER and SEWER (WASTEWATER) RATES (USER FEES)***
READ Related Staff Report – Page 127 and Resolution 71-18 – Page 131
You can contact CAL @ 805-464-1221 (Voice Message) with your questions.
Citizens for Affordable Living MB 
“Submitted by Tom Rost — Observations of the 2018 Proposition 218.
1. The 2015 sewer rate increase was to pay for the Morro Bay portion of the $75 million dollar sewer/water reclamation project for $56 million dollars.
2. At the end of 5 years, there is no provision for the 2015 rate increase to stop and drop back to the pre 2015 sewer rate. This is a permanently established rate increase.
3. The 2015 rate increase, provided by the 218 vote, was to service the $56 million dollar construction of the project.
4. To suggest as some have stated, there never was an intent in 5 years to collect $56 million dollars to build a plant.
5. The 2015 Proposition 218 increase, which is permanent, is available to finance $56 million to $65 million, bond indebtedness to build a realistic waste water reclamation project.
6. There is no need for a further 218 rate increase.”
LikeLiked by 1 person
where do I get my ballot?
LikeLike
How is it that the City could just outright reject the additional 1000+ ballots? I had my suspicions all along that the Council/City Manager/Lawyer, would come up with some way to cog up the wheel. The effort to obtain enough votes against the project was valiant. The City kept making the argument that people could qualify for 10% off on sewer/water rates, based on qualifying per PGE low income requirements. With the average income in Morro Bay being around $50K, to qualify for the lower rate per PGE qualifications one would have to have an income of $31K, or less, be on Social Security only, CalWORKs, etc.. It would be a very low number of those who would qualify. The City should adopt it’s own program so more people would qualify for a lower rate. I won’t hold my breath on that happening. VOTE to adopt change!
LikeLike
Read Agenda Correspondence from HJTA for September 25, 2018 CC Meeting:
http://www.morro-bay.ca.us/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/4769
LikeLike
Elections matter locally too. Let’s vote out any city council members, including the mayor, who pushed through the WRF boondoggle. And now they’re looking at building above Panorama Dr, insane! A new crew couldn’t possibly do any worse. Clean house, do it now!
LikeLike