HomeMy WebLinkAbout2006-06-21 STAFF REPORTS 1B F.—n-
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City of Palm Springs June 20, 2006
Troy Butzlaff, Assistant City Manager Desert Chapter
3200 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way
Palms Springs, CA 92262 Building Industry Associalion
of Southern California
Dear Mr. BntZlaf£ 77-370 Springfield Lane
Suite E
Palm Desert,California 92211
As we discussed in our phone conference yesterday, we have reviewed the City 760.360.2476
Palm Springs `Wastewater Rate Study and Facility Fee Update' and, we have come fax 760.772.3372
www.DesertGhapter.corn
to the conclusion that this document does not support any increase in developer E Mail. B1A@DesertChapter.eom
impact fees relating to wastewater connections.
Government Code 66000 states that the local agency must show the need of a
public facility and how the need is caused by new construction. In this case, the City
of Palm Springs is claiming that due to projected growth of the city, the wastewater
system requires expansion to meet the needs of a growing population. But, it fails to
identify the nexus between the fees and new construction.
The study states that the city has a 10.9 mgd wastewater treatment plant, yet, per
our discussion, there are several deficiencies in the system that cannot meet that
demand. To start, what are the capabilities of the system?
The study lists capital improvements. For each improvement a nexus study must:
1) identify the current capabilities or capacity for service; 2) identify the number of
EDUs (Equivalent Dwelling Units) that portion of the system is capable of serving
and the need to expand, replace, or rehabilitate based on it's capacity for service; 3)
identify the driver for the need; 4) and determine how there is a reasonable
relationship between the amount of the fee and the cost of the public facility or
portion of the public facility attributable to the development on which the fee is
imposed.
As pointed out by your consultant, the sources of information required to produce
an appropriate nexus study are in your hands, the engineer's report and cost
estimates, the Capital Improve Plan, and Planning Department documents identifying
service areas and project growth based on approved maps. With this information you
are capable of generating a nexus study meeting the legislated st
Respectfully,
James Browny
Director of kegislative Analysis
Aan Afffflate of the Natiounrl Assoei-Nion of Home Builders and the California Building lndusiy Association
CITY OF PALM SPRINGS
WASTEWATER RATE STUDY
& FACILITY FEE UPDATE
FINAL DRAFT
BARTLE WELLS ASSOCIATES
Independent Public Finance Advisors
1889 Alcatraz Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94703
Tel: 510.653.3399
Fax: 510.653.3769
www.bartlewells.com
l 1859 Alcatraz Avenue
BARTLE WELLS ASSOCIATES Berkeley, CA 94703
INDEPENDENT PUBLIC FINANCE ADVISORS 510 653 3399 fax 510 653 3769
\ e-mail: bwa@bartlewells.com
July 28, 2005
City of Palm Springs
3200 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way
Palm Springs, CA 92263
Attn: Troy Butzlaff, Assistant City Manager
Re: Wastewater Rate Study& Facility Fee Update
Bartle Wells Associates is pleased to submit the attached Wastewater Rate Study& Facility Fee
Update. Our study a)evaluates the adequacy of sewer rates to fund the long-term operating and
capital needs of the City's wastewater system,b) develops 10-year cash flow projections to
determine annual wastewater revenue requirements, and c) calculates a new Sewer Facility Fee per
residence or equivalent dwelling unit(EDU).
Findings and recommendations detailed in the report are briefly summarized as follows:
• Based on the cash flow projections, the City can maintain its current annual sewer rate of
$124.32, or$10.36 per month per EDU for approximately another three years without a rate
increase. Subsequently, the City will need to adopt small annual adjustments keep rates in line
with cost inflation and minimize the potential for large fixture rate spikes. Rates have not been
increased in 12 years and were last adjusted July 1, 1993.
• The wastewater enterprise should begin compensating the City for land use and easements
required by the 230-mile sanitary sewer collection system, The report conservatively calculates
an annual lease payment of$800,000.
• The City should begin filly recovering the cost of City-provided services directly benefiting the
wastewater enterprise. Based on a Citywide Cost Allocation Study developed by MuniFinancial
and information provided by city staff,the City should recover$300,000 from the wastewater
enterprise annually for financial management, administration, and other City-provided services.
• The report calculates a maximum Sewer Facility Fee of$3,000 per EDU. The City can
maintain the fee at the current level of$2,408 per EDU(60% of the $4,014 fee effective since
1993), or can adopt a new fee that does not exceed the maximum level of$3,000 per EDU.
The recommendations presented in this report were developed with substantial input from City staff.
Special thanks to all members of the City's project team including Troy Butzlaff, Dave Barakian,
Craig Graves, Tom Kanarr, and others who contributed. We enjoyed working with the City on this
assignment and appreciate the cooperation we received throughout the project.
Very truly yours,
BARTLE WELLS ASSOCIATES
Thomas Gaffney,CIPFA Alex T.Handlers,CIPFA
Principal Senior Consultant
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ESExecutive Summary .........................................................................................................1
1 Wastewater Rate Study.............................................................................................. 1-1
1.1 Background & Objectives.................................................................................... 1-1
1.2 Wastewater System.............................................................................................. 1-1
1.3 Current Wastewater Rates.................................................................................... 1-1
1.4 Billing................................................................................................................... 1-2
1.5 Historical Rates .................................................................................................... 1-3
1.6 Wastewater Customers......................................................................................... 1-3
1.7 Wastewater Enterprise Finances .......................................................................... 1-4
1.8 Capital Improvement Plan.................................................................................... 1-6
1.9 Collection System Land & Easement Lease ........................................................ 1-7
1.10 Cost Allocation for City Services......................................................................... 1-8
1.11 Cash Flow Assumptions....................................................................................... 1-9
1.12 Cash Flow& Rate Projections ............................................................................. 1-9
2 Sewer Facility Fee Update..........................................................................................2-1
2.1 Connection Fees................................................................................................... 2-1
2.2 Objectives............................................................................................................. 2-1
2.3 Current Sewer Facility Fees................................................................................. 2-1
2.4 Historical Facility Fees, Growth, and Revenues.................................................. 2-2
2.5 Wastewater System Capacity............................................................................... 2-4
2.6 Value of Wastewater System Infrastructure.............................I........................... 2-4
2.7 CIP Cost Allocation ............................................................................................. 2-5
2.8 Facility Fee Calculation ....................................................................................... 2-6
2.9 Future Adjustment of Facility Fees...................................................................... 2-7
LIST OF FIGURES
Tables
Table 1 - Current Sewer Service Charges
Table 2 - Sewer Customers by Class
Table 3 - Estimated Sewer EDUs Based on Revenues
Table 4 - Historical Wastewater Revenues & Expenses
Table 5 - Wastewater Fund Balances
Table 6 - Projected Capital Improvement Plan
Table 7 - Land and Easement Lease
Table 8 - Cash Flow Assianptions
Table 9 - Sewer Enterprise Cash Flow Projection
Table 10 - Current Sewer Facility Fees
Table 11 - Historical Growth & Sewer Facility Fee Revenues
Table 12 - Wastewater System Capacity
Table 13 - Value of Wastewater System Assets
Table 14 - CIP Cost Allocation
Table 15 - Calculation of Facility Fee Per EDU
Charts
Chart 1 - Historical Monthly Sewer Charges Per EDU
Chart 2 - Projected Capital hmprovement Program
Chart 3 - Projected Monthly Sewer Charges Per EDU
Chart 4 - Historical Sewer Facility Fees Per EDU
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
ES.1 Background & Objectives
The City of Palm Springs provides wastewater service to approximately 32,500 residential and
commercial customers within a 42 square-mile service area encompassing the City and surrounding
areas. The wastewater utility is a self-supporting enterprise; revenues are derived primarily from
sewer service charges and connection fees, which fund the enterprise's operating and capital
expenditures.
In December 2004, the City retained Bartle Wells Associates to conduct a wastewater rate study and
facility fee update. Prior to this study, sewer rates and connection fees had last been increased in
1993. Basic objectives of our study include:
• Evaluate the adequacy of sewer rates to find the long-term operating and capital needs of the
City's wastewater system;
• Evaluate the financial impact of the sewer enterprise's recent retirement of all outstanding debt;
• Develop long-range cash flow projections to determine annual wastewater revenue requirements;
• Update the City's Sewer Facility Pees.
This report assumes that the City continues to own the wastewater system for the foreseeable future.
ES.2 Wastewater Rate Study
The City's current charges $124.32 per year, or $10.36 per month, per residence or equivalent
dwelling unit(EDU)for sewer service. An EDU is a standardized unit of measurement that represents
the wastewater flow and loadings generated by a typical residential customer. Residential customers
are assigned 1 EDU and commercial customers are assigned EDUs based on the number of plumbing
fixture units per account. The City's sewer rates are very low by regional and statewide standards, and
are less than half the 2004 California average sewer rate of about$24 per month. Rates have not been
increased in 12 years and were last adjusted July 1, 1993.
Overall,the City's wastewater enterprise is in good financial condition. The enterprise operates very
cost-effectively and has accumulated adequate fund reserves while maintaining low rates. In recent
years,the enterprise's finances have benefited from a) a high level of development impact fee
revenues, b) a$2.2 million reduction in annual debt service payments due to retirement of all
outstanding debt, and c)the elimination of$400,000 in lease payments for land at the treatment plant
site which was recently purchased outright.
However,the wastewater enterprise faces a number of financial challenges in future years:
• The City's 10-year Capital Improvement Program(CIP) includes and estimated $7.6 million of
projects over the next five years and$13.8 million over the next 10 years accounting for cost
inflation to construction date.
• The sewer enterprise previously leased land at the treatment plant site, but has never compensated
the City for land use and easements required by the 230-mile sanitary sewer collection system.
This report conservatively calculates an annual lease payment of$800,000.
• The City provides a range of services required for the operation and administration of the
wastewater system. These services include financial management, engineering, enterprise
administration, and other functions. Unlike most cities in California, the City is not fidly
recovering these costs from the wastewater enterprise. Based on a Citywide Cost Allocation
City of Palm Springs—Wastewater Rate & Connection Fee Study ES-1
Study developed by MuniFinancial in 2004/05 and additional information provided by City staff,
the City should be recovering approximately $300,000 annually for services benefiting the
wastewater enterprise.
Long-term cash flow projections were developed to evaluate the wastewater enterprise's financial
position over the next 10 years and determine the adequacy of the City's current sewer rates. The
financial projections are based on the best information currently available, including the City's
2004/05 Adopted Budget, and incorporate a number of assumptions detailed in the report.
The cash flow projections indicate that the City's current, low annual rate of$124.32, or$10.36 per
month, per residence or EDU can be maintained for approximately another three years without a rate
increase. Subsequently,the City will need to adopt small annual adjustments keep rates in line with
cost inflation and minimize the potential for large future rate spikes. The cash flow project that rates
will need to gradually rise to $12.60 per EDU by 2013/14. The City should periodically update the
financial projections to ensure they reflect the most up-to-date information available.
ES.3 Sewer Facility Fee Update
Connection fees are one-time charges levied to recover the costs of wastewater infrastructure needed
to serve new development. The City terms these charges "Facility Fees" and calculates and collects
these fees at the time a building permit is issued. These fees can recover the costs of capacity in
existing infrastructure that will benefit new development, as well as the costs for capacity in future
facilities that must be built to serve growth. California Government Code Sections 66000 et, seq,
govern impact fees charged to new development. The code states that water and sewer connection
fees shall not exceed the estimated reasonable cost of providing the service for which the fee or charge
is imposed.
The City's Sewer Facility Fees were last increased on July 1, 1993 to $4,014 per residence or EDU.
However, the City adopted a temporary 40% fee reduction beginning July 1, 2000 resulting in a
current fee of$2,408 per EDU.
The City's wastewater treatment plant can process 10.9 million gallons per day (mgd)of wastewater
influent. Approximately 7.0 mgd, or 64.2%, of this capacity is used by the existing customer base.
The remaining 3.9 mgd of capacity, or 35.8% of total, is available to serve new development.
This report calculates a new Sewer Facility Fee of$3,000 per EDU. The fee includes two
components:
• A buy-in component to recover a proportional share of costs in existing system infrastructure that
has capacity to serve new development, and
• An expansion component to recover a proportional share of costs for fut re facilities that must be
built to accommodate new development.
This updated fee is higher than the City currently charges with its 40% fee reduction, but is less than
the City's prior adopted fee of$4,014. Government code specifies that the City cannot charge more
than "the estimated reasonable cost of providing the service for which the fee or charge is imposed"
but does not require the City to collect the maximum fee allowable. The City can maintain its current
Sewer Facility Fee at$2,408 per EDU, or can adopt a new fee that does not exceed the maximum level
of$3,000 per EDU.
Additionally,the City does not currently recover development impact fees for storm water
infrastructure and should consider adopting a charge to ensure adequate cost-recovery.
City of Palm Springs— Wastewater Rate & Connection Fee Study ES-2
1 WASTEWATER RATE STUDY
11 Background & Objectives
The City of Palm Springs provides wastewater service to approximately 32,500 residential and
commercial customers within a 42 square-mile service area encompassing the City and surrounding
areas. The wastewater utility is a self-supporting enterprise; revenues are derived primarily from
sewer service charges and connection fees, which fund the enterprise's operating and capital
expenditures.
In December 2004, the City retained Bartle Wells Associates to conduct a wastewater rate study and
connection fee update. Prior to this study, sewer rates and connection fees had last been increased in
1993. Basic objectives of our study include:
• Evaluate the adequacy of sewer rates to fund the long-term operating and capital needs of the
City's wastewater system;
• Evaluate the financial impact of the sewer enterprise's recent retirement of all outstanding debt;
• Develop long-range cash flow projections to determine annual wastewater revenue requirements;
• Update the City's Sewer Facility Fees.
The Wastewater Rate Study comprises the first section of this report. New Sewer Facility Fees are
developed in the second section of the report.
1.2 Wastewater System
The City's wastewater system includes roughly 230 miles of sewer pipelines, five pump stations, and a
wastewater treatment plant. The treatment plant is permitted at 10.9 million gallons per day(mgd) of
average dry weather capacity. Current wastewater flows are estimated at 7.0 mgd based on inflows at
the treatment plant. However, the City is currently conducting a wastewater flow study to better
evaluate total system flows.
The City owns the wastewater system and contracts out operations to Veolia Water, a private company
which has served as the City's contract operator since 1999. Veolia operates and maintains the City's
wastewater collection system and treatment plant. The City provides financial and operational
oversight and is responsible for coordinating engineering studies and implementation of the
wastewater capital improvement program.
The City is currently considering selling the wastewater system to Desert Water Agency, a public
water agency serving Palm Springs and surrounding communities. This study assumes that the City
continues to own the wastewater system for the foreseeable future.
1.3 Current Wastewater Rates
Table 1 shows a schedule of current sewer service charges. The City charges for sewer service based
on each customer's estimated wastewater discharge as denoted by equivalent dwelling units or EDUs.
An EDU is a standardized unit of measurement that represents the wastewater flow and loadings
generated by a typical residential customer. All residential dwelling units are assigned 1 EDU and pay
the same annual service charge. Flat residential rates are extremely common throughout California.
City ofPabn Springs— Wastewater Rate & Connection Fee Study 1-1
The current rate per residence or EDU is $124.32 per year, equivalent to a monthly rate of$10.36.
The City's sewer rates are very low by regional and statewide standards, and are less than halfthe
2004 California average sewer rate of about$24 per month.
Commercial and industrial customers are assigned EDUs based on the number of commercial
plumbing fixture units per account with 1 EDU equivalent to about every 10.2 commercial fixture
units. A fixture unit is a measure of flow capacity assigned to various plumbing fixtures, such as sinks
and toilets, used in plumbing design. The amount of wastewater generated per commercial plumbing
fixture unit is typically much higher, often twice as high, as sewer flow per residential fixture unit.
The City currently charges $1.02 per month per fixture unit. Commercial customers pay a minimum
charge equal to 1 EDU.
Hotels are billed per room. The rate per room without kitchen is equivalent to 34.1% of an EDU; each
room with kitchen pays the equivalent of 65.7% of an EDU. The rates for recreational vehicle parks
are based on the number of vehicle/camping spaces and number of fixture units. Each vehicle space is
billed a rate equivalent to roughly 25% of an EDU. Customers located outside City boundaries pay
rates that are 150% of standard City rates.
TABLE 1 -SEWER SERVICE CHARGES
Rates Effective Since July 1, 1993
Customer Class Monthly Charge
Residential $10.36 Per unit
Commercial& Industrial 1.02 Per fixture unit
10.36 Minimum charge
Hotel- Rooms Without Kitchens 10.36 Base charge+
3.53 Per room
Hotel- Rooms With Kitchens 6.81 Per room
Mobile Home Parks 10.36 Per unit+
1.02 Per fixture unit
Recreational Vehicle Parks 2.54 Per space+
1.02 Per fixture unit
Se:ptage Dumping Fee(for loads up to 1,000 gallons)
Within City limits 35.00 Per load
Outside City limits 70.00 Per load
Properties Adjacent to City
Rates for customers outside of City limits are 150% of the standard established rates
Sewer Permit Fee
For discharging septage at the City's Wastewater Treatment Plant 1,000.00 Per application
1.4 Billing
Most customers are billed for sewer service on the annual property tax rolls collected by Riverside
County. The County is on the Teeter Plan and provides the City with 100% of its annual sewer
billings,regardless of actual tax delinquencies. The City bills a small number of accounts bi-monthly.
The City's current sewer billing system has limited capabilities and is not able to generate data on the
number of customers and EDUs per customer class. The City should consider updating its billing
system if it anticipates maintaining ownership of the wastewater system. The new database should
City ofPahn Springs— Wastewater Rate & Connection Fee Study 1-2
include fields to denote customer class and number of EDUs. The database should also include
number of plumbing fixture units for commercial customers, and number of hotel rooms by type for
hotel accounts.
1„5 Historical Rates
Chart 1 shows a 16-year history of sewer rates per EDU. Rates have not been increased in 12 years
and were last adjusted July 1, 1993. In prior years, the City adopted across-the-board increases that
applied equally to all customer classes. The City's underlying rate structure has not been adjusted in
many years.
CHART 1 - HISTORICAL MONTHLY SEWER CHARGES PER EDU
$20 - -
$18 - -
$16 - Last rate increase effective July 1,1993 -- -- - — -
U
Ir
d $12 9$7 10.36 10.36 16.36 00.36 10. 66 10.36 10.36 10.30 10.36 00.36 10.3 11-0,36
t4 -._ 8.95 -
L $10 -
m
$8 -
�, $6 - ---- No rate increases over past 12 years - -
.c
c $4 - - -
$2 - -
O) o N M er N W r W T O r N M IT
ao m m m m m m m m m rn o 0 0 0 0
m rn m m m rn m m m m m o 0 0 0 0
r r r r r r r r r r r N N N N N
Rates Effective July 1
1.15 Wastewater Customers
Table 2 shows ahistory of sewer accounts and estimated EDUs based on data obtained from annual
building permit report summaries. According to the data, the City provided sewer service to
approximately 32,500 accounts which are billed for 39,300 EDUs.
The City has a predominantly residential customer base and provides service to about 31,400
residential dwelling units,which account for over 95%of all customers and about 80% of total EDUs.
The City provides service to roughly 1,100 commercial and industrial customers, which account for a
little less than 3.5% of the customer base, but about 13%of total wastewater discharge. The City also
serves about 131 hotels which have a total of 7,045 guest rooms accounting for approximately 7%of
EDUs.
City ofPalnt Springs- Wastewater Rate & Connection Fee Study 1-3
TABLE 2-SEWER CUSTOMERS BY CLASS
June June June June June January
Customer Class 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Residential Accounts
Single Family Dwellings 9,395 9,533 9,619 9,757 10,457 10,584
Apartments 6,662 6,662 6,663 6,733 6,774 6,846
Condominiums 11,244 11,244 11,285 11,375 11,452 11,568
Mobile Homes 22 386 2 386 2,386 2,386 2,386 2,386
Subtotal 29,687 29,825 29,953 30,251 31,069 31,384
Estimated EDUs 29,687 29,825 29,953 30,251 31,069 31,384
Hotels 129 129 130 131 131 131
Hotel Rooms(with or without kitch?) 6,922 6,922 7,026 7,045 7,045 7,045
Estimated EDUs(at 1 unit=0.4 EDUs) Z769 2,769 Z810 Z818 Z818 Z818
Est.Commercial&Industrial Accounts 985 1,006 1,011 1,030 1,053 1,078
Total Commercial Fixture Units 47,998 48,567 49,280 50,335 51,234 51,804
Estimated EDUs at 1 unit=10.2 EDUs 4,706 4,761 4,831 4,935 5,023 5,079
Total Estimated EDUs 37,161 37,355 37,595 38,004 38,910 39,281
Table 3 estimates the total number of EDUs based on annual sewer service charge revenues divided by
the unit rate per EDU. This provides a check on the accuracy of the data available from the City's
building permit reports. The 2002/03 EDU estimate shown below is 2%higher than the June 2003
data firom Table 2, and the 2003/04 estimate shown below is 0.7% higher than June 2004 EDU
estimate on the table above.
TABLE 3-ESTIMATED EDUS BASED ON REVENUES
2002103 2003/04
Annual sewer service charge revenues $4,817,204 $4,871,831
Annual rate per EDU $124 32 $124 32
Estimated sewer billing EDUs 38,748 39,188
1.7 Wastewater Enterprise Finances
Overall,the City's wastewater enterprise is in good financial condition. The enterprise operates very
cost-effectively and has accumulated adequate fiord reserves while maintaining low rates. Table 4
shows a financial history of the sewer enterprise based on three years of audited financial statements.
The table does not include depreciation,which is a non-cash accounting entry not relevant to this
study.
While many revenue and expenditure items remained fairly stable, there were large fluctuations in
some items:
• The City has collected a substantial amount of connection fees in recent years, however the
amount collected has varied widely from year to year based on annual development.
• In 2003/04, the wastewater enterprise purchased the land on which the wastewater treatment plant
is sited from the City for about$5.6 million. Previously, the sewer enterprise had leased the site
for a little over$400,000 per year. The annual lease payments were terminated beginning
2004/05.
City of Palm Springs- Wastewater Rate & Connection Fee Study 1-4
• In 2003/04,the sewer enterprise retired all outstanding debt and greatly reduced its future
financial obligations. In prior years, annual debt service payments totaled a little over$2.2
million.
• Capital expenditures have varied widely from year to year based on the capital needs of the
wastewater system, including repairs and replacements.
In recent years,the wastewater enterprise's financial condition has benefited from a high level of
connection fee revenues coupled with a$2.6 million reduction in annual expenses for debt service and
lease payments. The high level of connection fee revenues is a temporary financial benefit, but the
retirement of debt and termination of lease payments represents a permanent reduction in
expenditures.
TABLE 4-HISTORICAL WASTEWATER REVENUES &EXPENSES
Audited Audited Audited
2001/02 2002/03 2003/04
Revenues
Sewer service charges 4,780,942 4,817,204 4,871,831
Sewer connection & main charges 585,999 1,131,034 1,881,734
Interest income&gains/losses 387,874 -12 7,447 240,800
Total revenues 5,754,815 6,165,685 6,994,365
Expenses
Contractual operating &other services 2,500,991 2,611,842 2,538,037
Administration 404,595 402,046 404,886
Personnel services 15,445 15,988 19,219
Principal paid on debt 2,215,000 2,235,000 2,220,000
Interest paid on debt 0 0 105,000
Other interest expenses 334,475 203,919 176,975
Cash paid for capital agwsitions 2 8 88 637 160,000 5,636,000
Total expenses 8,349,143 5,628,795 11,100,117
Revenues less expenses (2,594,328) 536,890 (4,105,752)
Source:Audited Financial Statements.
Table 5 summarizes the wastewater enterprise's fund reserves based on the most recent audit. As of
June 30, 2004,the enterprise had about$2.2 million in reserves available for operating and capital
expenditures. Total fiord balances are projected to increase substantially this year due to a high level
of connection fees and the expense reductions noted above.
TABLE 5-WASTEWATER FUND BALANCES
June 30, 2004
Cash &investments $2,117,292
Receivables 24,942
Due from other governments 287,577
Less accounts payable (212,883)
Net wastewater fund balance 2,216,928
Source:Audit for Year Ending June 30, 2004, Statement of Net Assets.
City of Palm Springs—Wastewater Rate & Connection Fee Study 1-5
1.8 Capital Improvement Plan
Table 6 shows a 10-year capital improvement plan (Cl P)with costs estimates based on information
provided by the City's Department of Public Works and Engineering in March 2005. The City has
identified about$7 million (current$) of specific projects needed over the next five years. For
planning purposes,future capital costs are projected to average about$900,000 (current$)per year,
including ongoing repairs and replacements. Total 10-year CIP costs are estimated in current dollars
at$11.3 million over the next 10 years.
The table also estimates the future cost of projects by escalating current cost estimates at the annual
rate of 4.0%to account for cost inflation to construction date. Accounting for construction cost
inflation,total future CIP costs are projected $13.8 million. Annual CIP costs are shown graphically
on Chant 2 on the following page.
The projects listed on the CIP include a number of wastewater system repairs and upgrades to improve
existing deficiencies and provide capacity for growth. Project costs benefiting growth will be
recovered via the City's connection fees.
TABLE 6-PROJECTED CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN
Project 2005106 2006107 2007108 2008109 2009/10 2011 -2015 Total
CIP Projects in Current Dollars
Two new pert ponds - - 650,000 650,000 - - 1,300,000
Demtrification system - 11000,000 1,000,000 - - - 21000,000
Digester gas microturbines - 270,000 - - - - 270,000
Collection system repairs 300,000 300,000 300,000 300,000 300,000 1,500,000 3,000,000
Secondary digester cover 500,000 - - - - - 500,000
Lift station#1 rehabilitation - 120,000 - - - - 120,000
Primary digester cover repair - - - - 150,000 - 150,000
Other capital projects 200,000 200,000 200,000 200,000 200,000 1,000,000
Future treatment improvements - - - - - 3,000,000 3,000,000
Total(Current$) 1,000,000 1,890,000 2,150,000 1,150,000 650,000 4,500,000 11,340,000
CIP Projects in Future Dollars lConstruction Cost Escalation Rate 4.0%
Two new pert ponds - - 731,000 760,000 - - 1,491,000
Denitrification system - 1,082,000 1,125,000 - - - 2,207,000
Digester gas microturbines - 292,000 - - - - 292,000
Collection system repairs 312,000 324,000 337,000 351,000 365,000 2,056,000 3,745,000
Secondary digester cover 520,000 - - - - - 520,000
Lilt station#1 rehabilitation - 130,000 - - - - 130,000
Primary digester cover repair - - - - 182,000 - 182,000
Other capital projects 208,000 216,000 225,000 234,000 243,000 - 1,126,000
Future treatment improvements - - - - - 4,112,000 4,112,000
Total(Future$) 1,040,000 2,044,000 2,418,000 1,345,000 790,000 6,168,000 13,805,000
Wastewater flows at the City's treatment plant have not increased as expected with the substantial
growth that has occurred over the past 10 years. The City recently hired an engineering consultant to
evaluate wastewater system flows and recommend related capital improvements. The flow study is
currently under progress and may identify additional infrastructure improvement needs.
Based on existing flow data,the City's wastewater treatment plant currently has more than enough
capacity to serve existing customers. With the proposed capital improvements,the treatment plant
should be well positioned to handle growth for many years. However, in the long-term,the treatment
plant will eventually need to be expanded as available capacity is gradually used by new development.
City of Palm Springs-Wastewater Rate & Connection Fee Study 1-6
CHART 2-PROJECTED CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM
$3,000,000
$2,500,000
10-Year Total=$13.8 Million in Future$
$2,000,000 ......,._.
$1,500,000
$500,000
9\^o ^^
1.9 Collection System Land & Easement Lease
The sewer enterprise previously leased land at the treatment plant site at an annual cost of
approximately $400,000 through 2003/04,when it purchased the land outright. However, the
wastewater enterprise has never compensated the City for land use and easements required by the
sanitary sewer collection system. Table 7 estimates a reasonable lease payment for land and
easements required by the wastewater collection system. The payment is based on a) a conservative
estimate of land area required by the sanitary sewer system, b) a conservative estimate of land value,
and c) a conservative lease rate based on a discounted cost of City funding.
The City's sanitary sewer system consists of approximately 230 miles, or about 1.2 million linear feet,
of collection system pipelines which are predominantly located under City land and streets. A 10-foot
wide service area is required for pipeline maintenance, repair, and replacement,resulting in a total
required land area of about 12.1 million square feet, The City estimates that roughly 95%of the sewer
collection system in located under City land. To be conservative, Table 7 allocates 90% of land area
to the collection system resulting in a total of 10.9 million square feet of City land.
The cost of land in Palm Springs ranges from approximately $4 to $80 per square foot depending on
location. Much of the collection system is located under City streets in developed areas which
typically have higher land values than undeveloped areas. About a year and a half ago, the City
purchased land at Su rise/Tahquitz at a rate of approximately $16 per square foot, or a little under
$700,000 per acre. Table 7 uses a reduced land value of$12.50 per square foot, roughly$520,000 per
acre and calculates a total land value of$129 million. This amount was further discounted by 50%
resulting in a discounted land value of$64.5 million.
The City's long-term annual cost of finding, conservatively estimated at 5%, multiplied by the
discounted land value totals about$3.2 million. Accounting for 25% of this amount, a conservative
and reasonable lease payment is calculated at$800,000 per year.
Citv ofPabn Springs— Wastewater Rate & Connection Fee Study 1-7
TABLE 7-LAND & EASEMENT LEASE
Land Area
Sanitary Sewer Collection System Pipelines
Linear miles 230
Linear feet 1,214,400
Required Width for Pipeline Maintenance, Repair&Replacement (feet) 10
Total Gross Land Area Required by Sanitary Sewer System
Square feet 12,144,000
Discounted to Account for Pipelines Not Under City Land
Allocation % 85%
Square feet 10,322,400
Lund Value
City land value per square foot($522,720 per acre) $12.50
Total land value of collection system servicing area $129,030,000
Allocation % 50%
Discounted land value $64,515,000
Annual Lease Payment
City cost of funds 5.0%
Multiplied by discounted land value $3,225,750
Allocation% 25.0%
Discounted annual lease payment $806,438
Rounded down $800,000
The City's attorney should be consulted to ensure that the lease payments meet all legal requirements.
Bartle Wells Associates recommends that the City earmark the lease payments for capital
improvements for street-related infrastructure such as street repairs, replacements, and storm drain
improvements. The City can recover the lease payments via:
• Annual lease payments from the wastewater enterprise to the City; the City can spend the fiords
each year, or can let the funds accrue to help fiord larger future projects.
• Periodic lease prepayments, such as every 5 years, which could generate larger amounts of
finding up front for City capital projects.
• The City could also use the lease payments to help secure long-term debt.
1.10 Cost Allocation for City Services
The City provides a range of services that directly benefit the wastewater enterprise. These services
are necessary for the operation and administration of the wastewater system and include services such
as financial management, engineering, and enterprise administration. Currently,the City is not filly
recovering these costs from the wastewater enterprise. Most cities in California recover these costs
from their utility enterprises.
In 2004,the City contracted MuniFinancial to develop a Citywide Cost Allocation Study to equitably
allocate the costs of the City's central services (e.g. City Council governance, management, finance,
human resources, etc.)to the City's service departments. The study allocates $149,118 of the City's
central services costs to Wastewater Administration. The study does not filly account for all City
costs incurred on behalf of the wastewater enterprise. The City estimates that these additional costs
would conservatively total another$150,000 per year resulting in a total allocation of$300,000.
City of Patera Springs—Wastewater Rate & Connection Fee Study 1-8
1.11 Cash Flow Assumptions
Long-term cash flow projections were developed to evaluate the wastewater enterprise's financial
position over the next 10 years and determine the adequacy of the City's current sewer rates. The
financial projections are based on the best information currently available, including the City's
2004/05 Adopted Budget, and incorporate a number of assumptions listed on Table 8.
TABLES -ASSUMPTIONS
GROWTH &GENERAL ASSUMPTIONS
1 The City has experienced substantial new development in recent years and anticipates a high level of
growth to continue for the next three years as shown on the cash flow projections. Beginning 2008/09,
growth is projected at 200 EDUs per year based on 75% of the City's 10-year average historical growth.
2 Sewer Facility Fees are projected to remain at the current, temporariliy reduced level of$2,408 per single
family residence or Equivalent Dwelling Unit.
3 Interest rate on investments projected at 2.8% in 2005/06 and 3.0% therafter.
REVENUE ASSUMPTIONS
1 Sewer service charge revenues for each year are calculated based on the number of existing EDUs, plus
one half of new annual EDUs, multiplied by the projected rate per EDU.
2 Sewer connection fee revenues in 2004/05 estimated at$1.3 million based on revenues collected through
March 8, 2005 ($1,165,000). Future connection fee revenues are based on the projected number of new
EDUs each year.
3 Interest earnings estimated based on beginning fund balances and projected interest rates.
EXPENSE ASSUMPTIONS
1 Contractual operting costs are based on the 2004/05 Budget and escalate at the annual rate of 5.0%to
account for cost inflation and increased operating costs associated with growth.
2 Contractual legal and other services costs are based on the 2004/05 Budget and escalate at the annual
3 New operating and maintenance costs, related to new percolation ponds and a denitrification system, are
estimated at$10,000 in 2006/07 and escalate to$25,000 in 2007/05 and beyond.
4 Direct administrative costs projected at$300,000 beginning 2005/06 and escalate at the annual rate of
5 Land and easement lease costs projected at$800,000 annually.
6 Source control program costs projected at$75,000 beginning 2005/06 and escalate at the annual rate of
7 Other operating costs projected at$50,000 in 2005/06 and escalate at the annual rate of 4.0%
8 Capital expenditure projections based on the 10-year capital improvement plan and account for
construction cost inflation to construction date.
9 The sewer enterprise has no outstanding debt.
1,12 Cash Flow & Rate Projections
Table 9 on the following page presents 10-year financial projections of the sewer enterprise. As
discussed,the projections are based on the best information currently available and incorporate a
number of reasonable and slightly conservative assumptions. The projections provide a reasonable
indication of fixture finances,revenue requirements, and rates based on current information. Bartle
Wells Associates recommends the City update its financial projections annually to ensure the City
continues to make sound financial decisions based on the most up-to-date information available.
The cash flow projections indicate that the City's current, low annual rate of$124.32, or$10.36 per
month, can be maintained for another few years without a rate increase. However, the City will need
Ciiy ofPalrn Springs— Wastewater Rate & Connection Fee Study 1-9
to adopt small inflationary rate increases in future years. The cash flows phase in small annual rate
increases beginning 2009/10. Small annual adjustments keep rates in line with cost inflation and
minimize the potential for large future rate spikes. The cash flows project that rates will rise to $12.60
per month through 2013/14, meaning the City's rates will likely remain among the lowest in the region
and state for the foreseeable future.
The projections indicate that the sewer enterprise may run surpluses or deficits in various years due to
changes in annual capital expenditures, which can vary widely from year to year. However, over the
long-run, the enterprise will meet its operating and capital revenue requirements while maintaining
adequate fiord reserves and low rates.
Chart 3 shows a 10-year projection of sewer rates based on the cash flow projections.
CHART 3 - PROJECTED MONTHLY SEWER CHARGES PER EDU
$18 —The 2004 California statewide average - - - -
sewer rate is approximately$24 per month
c $16 -L -
V
d $14 � - - -- - - - _ 1z.zo 12.60
O - 10.80 11.20 11.70
N $12 �_ 10.36 10.36 10.36 10.36 10.36
m
ILI $8 -,L- - - --- - - - - - —In
>, __ __ Fannual
h flow projections indicate the need for small
,E $6 - rate adjustments beginning July 1, 2009
0 $4 - eep revenues in line with cost inflation - -�
$2 -_
$0 ,It to W 1- 00 O O r N M
O O O O O O r r r r
O O O O O O O O O O
N N N N N N N - N N N
Rates Effective July 1
City of Palnz Springs-Wastewater Rate & Connection Fee Study 1-10
Table 9
City of Palm Springs
Sewer Enterprise Cash Flow Projection
2004/05 2005/06 2006107 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14
Monthly Rate per EDU $10.36 $10.36 $10.36 $10.36 $10.36 $10.80 $11.20 $11.70 $12.20 $12.60
Beginning EDUs 39,150 39,690 40,190 40,590 40,990 41,190 41,390 41,590 41,790 41,990
New Connections, EDUs 540 500 400 400 200 200 200 200 200 200
Sewer Facility Fee per EDU $2,408 $2,408 $2,408 $2,408 $2,408 $2,408 $2,408 $2,408 $2,408 $2,408
Interest Rate 2.8% 3.0% 3 0% 3.0% 3.0% 3 0% 3.0% 3.0% 3.0%
Beginning Fund Balance $2,216,928 $5,170,000 $6,318,000 $6,154,000 $5,480,000 $5,238,000 $5,254,000 $5,259,000 $5,290,000 $5,342,000
Revenues
Sewer service charges 4,800,000 4,965,000 5,021,000 5,071,000 5,108,000 5,351,000 5,576,000 5,853,000 6,133,000 6,364,000
Sewer connection fees 1,300,000 1,204,000 963,000 963,000 482,000 482,000 482,000 482,000 482,000 482,000
Interest income 200,000 145,000 19D,000 185,Do0 164,000 157,000 158,000 158,000 159,000 160,000
Other 15000 15.000 15 000 15 000 15,000 15 000 15 000 15 000 15 000 15000
Total revenues 6,315,000 6,329,000 6,189,000 6,234,000 5,769,000 6,005,000 6,231,000 6,508,000 6,789,000 7,021,000
Expenses
Contractual operating services 2,427,959 2,549,000 2,676,000 2,810,000 2,951,000 3,099,000 3,254,000 3,417,000 3,588,000 3,767,000
Contractual legal&other services 250,000 260,000 270,000 281,000 292,000 304,000 316,000 329,000 342,000 356,000
Insurance 103,184 107,000 111,000 115,000 120,000 125,000 130,000 135,000 140,000 146,000
New O&M(pem ponds&demtnf system) 0 0 10,000 25,000 26,000 27,000 28,000 29,000 30,000 31,000
Direct administrative costs 0 300,000 312,000 324,000 337,000 350,000 364,000 379,000 394,000 410,000
Land and easement lease 0 800,000 800,000 800,000 800,000 800,000 800,000 800,000 800,000 800,000
Source control program 0 75,000 78,000 81,000 84,000 87,000 90,000 94,000 98,000 102,000
Other operating 26 881 50000 52 000 54.000 56 000 58 000 60 000 62000 64,000 6T000
Subtotal operating 2,808,024 4,141,000 4,309,000 4,490,000 4,666,000 4,850,000 5,042,000 5,245,000 5,456,000 5,679,000
Capital improvements(cost inflated) 553,750 1,040,000 2,044,000 2,418,000 1,345,000 1,139,000 1,184,000 1,232,000 1,281,000 1,332,000
Debt service 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Subtotal non-operating 553,750 1,040,000 2,044,000 2,418,000 1,345,000 1,139,000 1,184,000 1,232,000 1,281,000 1,332,000
Total expenses 3,361,774 5,181,000 6,353,000 6,908,000 6,011,000 5,989,000 6,226,000 6,477,000 6,737,000 7,011,000
Revenues less expenses 2,953,226 1,148,000 (164,000) (674,000) (242,000) 16,000 5,000 31,000 52,000 10,000
Revenues less operating expenses 3,506,976 2,188,000 1,880,000 1,744,000 1,103,000 1,155,000 1,189,000 1,263,000 1,333,000 1,342,000
Ending Fund Balance 5,170,154 6,318,000 6,154,000 5,480,000 5,238,000 5,254,000 5,259,000 5,290,000 5,342,000 5,352,000
City ofPabn Springs- Wastewater Rate & Connection Fee Study 1-11
2 SEWER FACILITY FEE UPDATE
2.1 Connection Fees
Connection fees are one-time charges levied to recover the costs of wastewater infrastructure needed
to serve new development. These fees go by a variety of names including connection fees, capacity
fees, facility charges, and development impact fees. The City terms these charges "Facility Fees" and
calculates and collects these fees at the time a building permit is issued. The City also charges a
Sewer Street Main Charge to new connections that have not paid their share of costs for sewer lines.
The City does not currently charge a development impact fee for storm water infrastructure.
Connection fees can recover the costs of capacity in existing infrastructure that will benefit new
development, as well as the costs for capacity in future facilities that must be built to serve growth.
Connection fees can also be recovered for the incremental increase in wastewater system capacity
needed when a property is redeveloped or undergoes a change in use.
California Government Code Sections 66000 et, seq, govern impact fees charged to new development.
Section 66013 specifically governs water and wastewater connection fees. The code states that water
and sewer connection fees shall not exceed the estimated reasonable cost of providing the service for
which the fee or charge is imposed, unless approved by a popular vote of two-thirds of participating
voters. The code does not specify a method for calculating an appropriate fee.
Other provisions of the government code specify how connection fees must be accounted for. The
City should review its financial policies and procedures to ensure compliance with all legal
requirements of the code.
2.2 Objectives
Bartle Wells Associates was retained to update the City's Sewer Facility Fees. The objectives of our
study are to develop a new connection fee per EDU that:
• Recovers the frill cost of capacity in facilities needed to serve new development including:
- costs for existing infrastructure with capacity available to serve growth,
-costs of future infrastructure needed to serve growth, and
-related financing costs incurred for finding wastewater system infrastructure;
• Equitably allocates costs to new development based on capacity;
• Demonstrates the nexus between the fee and the purpose for which it is recovered;
• Is reasonable and defensible and complies with all legal requirements;
• Is easy to administer and is understandable to City staff and the development community.
2.3 Current Sewer Facility Fees
Table 10 shows a schedule of current Sewer Facilities Fees. The City's fees were last increased on
July 1, 1993 to $4,014 per residence or equivalent dwelling unit(EDU). However,the City adopted a
temporary 40%fee reduction beginning July 1,2000 resulting in a current fee of$2,408 per EDU.
Connection fees for commercial and industrial customers are based on number of plumbing fixture
units, which are used as a basis for approximating wastewater flow. Hotels are charged per room. The
fee per hotel room with kitchen is about 50% of the standard fee per EDU. Rooms without kitchen are
City of Palm Springs— Wastelvater Rate & Connection Fee Study 2-1
charged a fee that is about 43% of the standard fee per EDU. Campgrounds pay a connection fee
equal to about 78% of the rate per EDU per recreational vehicle space. Sewer connection fees for
properties outside city limits are set at twice the standard established levels.
TABLE 10-CURRENT SEWER FACILITY FEES
Prior Adopted Charge Current Reduced Charge*
Sewer Facility Fee
Residential $4,014 Per unit $2,408 Per unit
Commercial & Industrial $338 Per fixture unit $203 Per fixture unit
Hotel Rooms
Without Kitchens $1,744 Per unit $1,046 Per unit
With Kitchens $1,998 Per unit $1,198 Per unit
Recreational Vehicle Space $3,121 Per space $1,873 Per space
Properties Adjacent to City
Facilities Fees for properties outside the City are twice the standard established rate
Sewer Facility Fees are determined and paid at the time a building permit is issued
Sewer Street Main Charge
Applies to new connections that have not paid their share of costs for sewer lines
Charge is determined by the Building Division based on the greater of:
1) $16 per lot front foot along applicable sewer line
2) At the rate established in a sewer reimbursement agreement adopted by City Council
3) At the rate established by City Council for sewers collection system in a specified area
Sewer Main Surcharge Fee
Applies when required by a sewer reimbursement agreement
Facility Fees have been reduced by 40% since July 1, 2000.
2A Historical Facility Fees, Growth, and Revenues
Table 11 shows a long-tens history of sewer facility fees and facility fee revenues based on data
provided by the City. The table also estimates the number of new EDUs that connected to the sewer
system each year. Beginning 1981/82,the sewer facility fee was gradually increased each year from
$1,602 to $4,014 in 1993/94. It remained at this level for seven years until the City Council adopted a
temporary 40%fee reduction which decreased the fee to $2,408,where it has remained ever as shown
on Chart 4 on the following page.
Connection fees are not a stable source of revenues since they fluctuate based on the amount of new
development that occurs each year. The City experienced substantial development in the mid to late
1980s. Growth occurred at lower levels throughout the 1990s, picked up a little beginning 2000, and
has increased substantially over the past few years.
Over the period shown,the City's sewer facility fee revenues have ranged from a low of$163,000 in
1993/94 to a high of$3.6 million in 1983/84 while the number of new sewer connections has ranged
from 41 new EDUs to 1,775 EDUs during those same yens.
Over the past ten years,the City has collected an average of a little under$780,000 of facility fee
revenues per year from an average of 266 new sewer EDUs annually. However, the higher level of
growth in recent years has been generating substantially more revenues, even with the temporary fee
reduction.
City of Palm Springs— Wastewater Rate & Connection Fee Sludy 2-2
TABLE 11 -HISTORICAL GROWTH&SEWER FACILITY FEE REVENUES
Fiscal Year Facility Fee Facility Fee Estimated
Ending 6/30 Revenues Per EDU New EDUs
1982 $343,375 $1,602 214
1983 700,366 1,805 388
1984 3,608,019 2,033 1,775
1985 1,776,043 2,216 801
1986 1,763,702 2,415 730
1987 1,713,011 2,633 651
1988 1,308,021 2,850 459
1989 1,233,220 3,067 424
1990 1,499,504 3,284 457
1991 948,012 3,455 274
1992 1,036,148 3,626 286
1993 268,821 3,816 70
1994 163,751 4,014 41
1995 896,218 4,014 223
1996 494,370 4,014 123
1997 446,938 4,014 111
1998 583,414 4,014 145
1999 606,435 4,014 151
2000 628,288 4,014 157
2001 621,709 2,408 258
2002 585,999 2,408 243
2003 1,131,034 2,408 470
2004 1,881,734 2,408 781
Total 24,238,132 9,233
Average 1,053,832 401
10-Year Avg 1995.2004 787,614 266
CHART 4 -HISTORICAL SEWER FACILITY FEES PER EDU
$5,000
D
CI
1 4,014
4,0 4,014 4,014 4,014 4,014 4,014
` �,616_ n__,._,0'14
c
$4,000 - �. - -
3,626 '-' �
ai 3,455
C: 3,284
a 3,067
a $3,000
Alf
l 08 2,408 2,408 2,408 2,408
LL $2,000 - -
a�
c
y; Facility Fees have been temporarily
`m $1,000 reduced by 40%since July 1, 2000
c.
y,
m
U.
W O O r N M d' YI !O A W Oi O r N M 0
M M M M 0 M M CO O O N M O O O O
O O A O O T O O O O O O
r r r r r r r r r r r r N N N N N
Rates Effective July 1
00)of Palm Springs- Wastewaler Rate & Connection Fee Sludv 2-3
2.5 Wastewater System Capacity
As shown on Table 12, the City's wastewater treatment plant has a permitted capacity of 10.9 million
gallons per day (mgd) of average dry weather flow. Wastewater treatment plants in California
typically must renew their operating permits every five years.
The existing customer base is generating approximately 7.0 mgd of wastewater flow based on meter
reaidings at the treatment plant. This represents about 64.2% of total plant capacity. The remaining
3.9 mgd of capacity, constituting 35.8% of total, is available to serve new development.
TABLE 12 -WASTEWATER SYSTEM CAPACITY
Capacity (mgd) % of Total
Capacity used by existing customer base 70 64.2%
Capacity available for growth 3.9 35.8%
Total treatment plant permit capacity 10.9 100 0%
Source: City of Palm Springs.
2.15 Value of Wastewater System Infrastructure
Table 13 calculates the current value of existing wastewater system infrastructure. The value is
determined by escalating the original purchase price of each asset, less accumulated depreciation, into
current dollars based on the change in the Engineering News-Record Construction Cost index(20-
Cities Average) from the purchase date to the May 2005 index. The ENR index is widely-used
industry standard for estimating construction cost inflation.
Based on this methodology, the City's wastewater infrastructure is currently valued at approximately
$67.1 million. Excluding assets with a current depreciated value of less than $10,000 and assets with
less than five years ofremaining life, the wastewater system is valued at about$66.9 million.
The accumulated depreciation of each asset is based on its usefid life. For accounting purposes,
standard useful lives are used. Because these accounting standards tend to underestimate the actual
usefrd life of infrastructure,the asset values calculated on the table are conservative estimates of the
actual value of the City's wastewater system infrastructure.
City ofPalne Springs— Wastewater Rate & Connection Fee Study 2-4
TABLE 13- VALUE OF WASTEWATER SYSTEM ASSETS
Acctg 6/30/04 6/30/04 Est. Est Purchase Current
Asset Purchase Useful Accumulated Book Est. Rem Year Year Value
Description Price Life' Depreciation Value Age Life Acquired ENR-CCI ENR=7398
Treatment plant projects $1,106,544 50 $962,372 $144,172 43 7 1961 855 $1,247,472
Highline payroll 15,776 10 7,886 7,890 5 5 1999 6127 9,527
Pentamation finance 12,818 10 6,406 6,412 5 5 1999 6127 7,742
Motorola radio system 7,800 10 7,800 0 10 0 1994 5439 0
Conveyor-press hycor 22,259 5 18,178 4,081 4 1 2000 6221 4,853
A land site grading 436,212 na 0 436,212 na no no no 436,212
Parcel EFGH from 663,698 no 0 663,698 na na no na 663,698
Land 20 acres SBC 20 401,210 na 0 401,210 no na na no 401,210
20 acres Mesquite 2,006,663 na 0 2,006,663 na na na na 2,006,663
3 25 acres Baristo+ 327,241 na 0 327,241 no na na no 327,241
24.96 acres property 5,636,000 na 0 5,636,000 no na no no 5,636,000
WWTP office payroll 27,292 20 23,887 3,405 18 2 1986 4348 5,794
Treatment plant projects 11,285,827 50 4,700,333 6,585,494 21 29 1983 4110 11,853,937
Treatment plant projects 4,026,644 40 3,300,163 726,481 33 7 1971 1655 3,247,449
Plant expansion 1,292,567 38 714,315 578,252 21 17 1983 4110 1,040,858
CIP treatment plant 632,743 37 342,020 290,723 20 17 1984 4171 515,650
Vacuum header 5,775 4 5,775 0 4 0 2000 6221 0
3.0 mgd design/const 47,847 10 23,921 23,926 5 5 1999 6127 28,889
Treatment plant projects 96,713 10 68,503 28,210 7 3 1997 5826 35,822
Treatment plant projects 13,713 10 9,618 4,095 7 3 1997 5826 5,200
Digester engines/TF 64,000 10 12,800 51,200 2 8 2002 6538 57,935
Belt filter press 700,000 20 70,000 630,000 2 18 2002 6538 712,872
Headwork rehab 22,000 20 22,000 0 20 0 1984 4171 0
Replace primary 657,637 20 65,763 591,874 2 18 2002 6538 669,731
Primary clarifier 813,000 20 81,300 731,700 2 18 2002 6538 827,950
Trickling filter 422,000 20 42,200 379,800 2 18 2002 6538 429,760
Holding pond land 1,871,615 na 0 1,871,615 na no na na 1,871,615
4 29 acres Sec 19 551,479 na 0 551,479 na na na no 551,479
46 acres Sec 19 591,022 na 0 591,022 na na na no 591,022
Underground storage 102,785 15 34,831 67,954 5 10 1999 6127 82,051
Underground storage 10,391 15 10,391 0 15 0 1989 4679 0
Underground storage 11,963 15 3,189 8,774 4 11 2000 6221 10,434
Tramview sewer imprvmnt 160,000 20 0 160,000 0 20 2004 7115 166,365
4.25 acres in Sec 14 96,362 na 0 96,362 na no na na 96,362
Auger power TDP 5,193 5 5,193 0 5 0 1999 6127 0
Sewer clnr irk mntd 36,817 10 36,817 0 10 0 1994 5439 0
Holland dump trailer 5,913 5 5,913 0 5 0 1999 6127 0
Subsurface lines WWT 4,984,778 50 1,755,857 3,228,921 18 32 1986 4348 5,493,941
Subsurface lines 20,923,270 50 11,514,419 9,408,851 28 22 1976 2490 27,954,603
Treatment plant projects 364,092 16 288,008 76,084 13 3 1991 4889 115,130
Fence perculator 17,500 12 17,500 0 12 0 1992 5059 0
Vaughan chopper pump 7,634 5 7,634 0 5 0 1999 6127 0
Effluent monitoring 29,635 8 18,520 11,115 5 3 1999 6127 13,421
Total 60,514,428 24,183,512 36,330,916 67,118,888
Assets with current value at least$10,000 and at least 5 years of remaining useful life 66,892,510
1 Used for accounting purposes Actual useful life may be longer
2 Engineering News-Record Construction Cost Index,20-Cities Average,May 2005.
Source:Based on City of Palm Springs Wastewater System Fixed Asset Listing 6/30/04
2.7 CIP Cost Allocation
Table 14 allocates costs of the City's anticipated capital improvement projects to existing customers
and growth. To be conservative,the capital project costs are shown in current dollars. Of the total
$13.8 million of projects anticipated over the next 10 years, approximately $7.6 million or 55% are
allocated to existing customers, and $6.2 million or 45% are allocated to growth.
City ofPalni Springs- Wastewater Rate & Connection Fee Study 2-5
The allocations are based on the estimated amount of project capacity benefiting each group. For
example, the two new percolation ponds are needed solely to handle future wastewater flows
generated by new development. Therefore,the costs of these projects are allocated 100%to growth.
Many of the projects, such as repair of the primary digester cover, will benefit both current and future
customers. These projects are allocated based on the treatment plant capacity currently used by
existing customers(7.0 of 10.9 mgd, or 64.2%)and available for growth (3.9 of 10.9 mgd, or 35.8%).
TABLE 14-CIP COST ALLOCATION
Total Allocation % Allocation $
Project (Future$) Existing Growth Existing Growth
Two new pare ponds $1,491,000 0.0% 100.0% $0 $1,491,000
Denitrification system 2,207,000 50.0% 50.0% 1,103,500 1,103,500
Digester gas microturbines 292,000 64.2% 35.8% 187,464 104,536
Collection system repairs 3,745,000 64.2% 35.8% 2,404,290 1,340,710
Secondary digester cover 520,000 64.2% 35.8% 333,840 186,160
Lift station#1 rehabilitation 130,000 64.2% 35.8% 83,460 46,540
Primary digester cover repair 182,000 64.2% 35.8% 116,844 65,156
Unscheduled capital projects 1,126,000 64.2% 35.8% 722,892 403,108
Future treatment improvements 4,112,000 64.2% 35.8% 2,639,904 1,472,096
Total 13,805,000 55.0% 45.0% 7,592,194 6,212,806
Source: City of Palm Springs, Department of Public Works and Engineering, March 2005.
2.8 Facility Fee Calculation
Table 15 calculates a new sewer facility fee of$3,000 per EDU. The fee includes two components:
• a buy-in component to recover a proportional share of costs in existing system infrastructure that
has capacity to serve new development, and
• an expansion component to recover a proportional share of costs for firture facilities that must be
built to accommodate new development.
The buy-in component recovers the current depreciated system value plus financing costs incurred for
finding wastewater infrastructure. The financing costs include issuance costs, underwriter's fees, and
interest payments made on debt issued in 1981, 1984, 1989, and 1998 (which include a number of
refinancings). These costs are divided by total wastewater system capacity of 10.9 mgd to determine a
unit rate. Based on the City's definition of an EDU at 300 gallons per day (gpd)of wastewater flow,
the buy-in component of the facility fee is calculated at$2,529 per EDU.
The expansion component recovers the share of anticipated capital project costs allocated to growth.
These costs are divided by the 3.9 mgd expansion capacity of the wastewater system to determine a
unit rate. The expansion component of the facility fee equals $478 per EDU yielding a total Sewer
Facility Fee of approximately $3,000 per EDU.
This updated fee is more than the City currently charges, but is less than the City's prior adopted fee of
$4,014. Government code specifies that the City cannot charge more than"the estimated reasonable
cost of providing the service for which the fee or charge is imposed"but does not require the City to
collect the maximum fee allowable. The City can maintain its current Sewer Facility Fee at$2,408
per EDU, or can adopt a new fee that does not exceed the maximum level of$3,000 per EDU.
Cht v of Palm Springs—Wastewater Rate & Connection Fee Study 2-6
TABLE 15 -CALCULATION OF FACILITY FEE PER EDU
Buy-In Component
Recovers proportional share of costs for capacity in existing infrastructure &assets
Current depreciated value of fixed assets' $66,892,510
Financing costs (conservative estimate of issuance, underwriter,&interest costs) $25,000,000
CIP projects allocated to current system deficiencies2 M0
u ubtotal $91,892,510
Total wastewater system capacity (mgd) 10.9
Buy-in value per mgd $8,430,506
Buy-in value per EDU (300 gpd) $2,529
Expansion Component for Share of Capacity in Capital Projects
Recovers a proportional share of costs for capital projects that will benefit growth
CIP projects capacity for growth $6,212,806
Capacity available for growth (mgd) 3.9
Expansion project cost per mgd $1,593,027
Expansion project cost per EDU (300 gpd) $478
Total Facility Fee Per EDU
Facility Fee per EDU (300 gpd) $3,007
Rounded $3,000
1 Only includes assets with current value at least$10,000 and at least 5 years of remaining life
2 IVot included.
2.9 Future Adjustment of Facility Fees
The City should periodically review and adjust its facility fees to ensure the fees continue to
adequately recover the cost of facilities required to serve new development. BWA recommends that
public agencies review and adjust their fees in conjunction with major CIP revisions and master plan
updates,but generally not less than once every five years.
Between comprehensive fee reviews,the City can adjust its fees annually or periodically based on the
change in the Engineering News Record Construction Cost Index(ENR CCI). The ENR index is a
widely-used measure of construction cost inflation. Legal language implementing an automatic fee
escalator should allow the fee to be adjusted based on the change in the ENR CCI from a base year,
not just from the prior year. This allows for a multi-year adjustment if the City opts to forego annual
increases some yeas.
City of Palm Springs— Wastewater Rate & Connection Fee Study 2-7
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A`'F°R`'' City Council Staff Report
DATE: June 21, 2006 Public Hearing
SUBJECT: Proposed Increase in Sewer Facility Fee
FROM: David H. Ready, City Manager
BY: City Manager's Office
SUMMARY
Connection fees are one-time charges levied to recover the costs of capacity in existing
infrastructure that will benefit new development, as well as the costs for capacity in
future facilities that must be built to serve growth. The City's connection fee, or Sewer
Facility Fee, was adopted in 1974. The Sewer Facility Fee was last increased on
July 1, 1993 to $4,014 per residence or equivalent dwelling unit (EDU). In 2000, the
City Council suspended full collection of this fee to help foster economic development.
The current fee suspension, which is 40% of the previously adopted fee of$4,014, is set
to expire on June 30, 2006. The City recently hired. a consultant to evaluate the current
fee structure to determine whether the fees the City charges for sewer services
sufficiently cover the costs for existing infrastructure with capacity to serve growth.
Based on the anticipated capital improvement projects that are projected over the next
10 years, the consultant has recommended that the City consider increasing the Sewer
Facility Fee to $3,000 per EDU.
RECOMMENDATION:
1. Open the public hearing and receive public testimony on the proposed increase
in the Sewer Facility Fee.
2'. Adopt Resolution No. "A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA ADOPTING AN INCREASE IN THE
SEWER FACILITY FEE ASSESSED ON NEW CONSTRUCTION"
STAFF ANALYSIS:
The City assesses a Sewer Facility Fee to recover the costs of wastewater
infrastructure needed to serve new development, as well as the costs for increasing
capacity of existing facilities to serve growth. This fee, which is authorized under
California Government Code Section 66013, was established in 1974 and is collected at
A
Item No. 1 . .
Staff Report
June 21, 2006 -- Page 2
Proposed Increase in Sewer Facility Fee
the time a building permit is issued. The code specifically states that water and sewer
connection fees shall not exceed the estimated reasonable cost of providing the service
for which the fee or charge is imposed, unless approved by a popular vote of two-thirds
of participating voters.
The City's Sewer Facility Fee was last increased on July 1, 1993 to $4,014 per
residence or EDU. On May 17, 2000, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 19795
partially suspending full collection of the Sewer Facility Fee as an incentive to economic
development within the community. This suspension, which reduced the Facility Fee by
40% or $2,408 per EDU, has been extended several times. The current suspension
expires on June 30, 2006.
Last year, the City retained a consultant, Bartle Wells Associates, to evaluate whether
the existing sewer rates, including the Facility Fee, were set at sufficient levels to fund
the long-term operating and capital needs of the City's wastewater system. Using
information obtained from the City and its wastewater treatment plant operator, the
consultant was able to identify $13.8 million in capital projects over the next 10 years.
These projects were then allocated based on the treatment plant capacity currently
used by existing customers to determine the estimated amount of project capacity
benefiting each group. Of the total $13.8 million in anticipated capital costs,
approximately $7.6 million or 64.2% of the total, is related to existing customers, and
$6.2 million, or 35.8%, to growth.
Using the allocation of project costs, the consultant was able to calculate a new Sewer
Facility Fee consisting of the following components:
• A buy-in component to recover a proportional share of costs in existing system
infrastructure that has capacity to serve new development, and
• An expansion component to recover a proportional share of costs for future
facilities that must be built to accommodate new development.
The buy-in component recovers the current depreciated system value, plus financing
costs, incurred for funding wastewater infrastructure. These costs are divided by the
total wastewater system capacity (10.9 million gallons per day) to determine a unit rate.
Based on the City's definition of an EDU at 300 gallons per day (gpd) of wastewater
Flow, the buy-in component of the facility fee is calculated at $2,529 per EDU.
The; expansion component recovers the share of anticipated capital project costs
allocated to growth. These costs are divided by the expansion capacity (3.9 million
gallons per day) of the wastewater system to determine the unit rate. The expansion
component of the facility fee equals $478 per EDU. This, combined with the buy-in
component, yields a total Sewer Facility Fee of approximately $3,000 per EDU.
Although this is approximately $600 more per residence or EDU than the current fee, it
is still substantially less than the City's previously adopted fee of$4,014.
Staff Report
June 21, 2006 -- Page 3
Proposed Increase in Sewer Facility Fee
The Sewer Facility Fee for all other customers is essentially tiered off the residential unit
rate. For example, the fee for commercial and industrial customers, which is based on
the number of plumbing fixture units, is equivalent to 1 EDU for every 10.2 fixtures.
Hotels are charged per room. The fee per hotel room with kitchen is about 50% of the
standard fee per EDU. Rooms without kitchens are charged a fee that is about 43% of
the standard fee per EDU. Trailer parks pay a connection fee equal to about 78% of the
EDU rate.
The; current connection fees and the proposed fees to become effective July 1, 2006 are
as follows:
Current Fee Proposed Fee
A. Residential Units (single-family, $2,408/EDU $3,000/EDU'
apartments, co-op apartments,
condominiums and mobile home
park spaces).
B. Commercial and Industrial Units2 $203/Fixture Unit $306/Fixture Unit
C. Hotel Room
Without Kitchens $1,046/Unit $1,290/Unit
With Kitchens $1,198/Unit $1,500/Unit
D. Recreational Vehicle Spaces4 $1,873/Space $2,340/Space
E. Properties Adjacent to City5 $2,809/unit $6,000/unit
' EDU stands for Equivalent Dwelling Unit
] Commercial and industrial customers are assigned EDUs based on the number of commercial plumbing fixture units per
account with 1 EDU equivalent to about every 10 2 commercial fixtures.
' Hotels without kitchens are assessed a fee equivalent to 43% of an EDU; hotels with kitchens are assessed the equivalent of
50%of an EDU.
4 The fee for recreational vehicle parks are based on the number of vehicle/camping spaces and the number of fixture units.
Each vehicle space is billed a rate equivalent to 78%of an EDU
' Customers located outside the City's boundaries pay fees that are 150%of the standard EDU
In light of the anticipated capital project costs over the next few years, staff is
recommending that the City Council increase the Sewer Facility Fee as proposed by the
City's consultant. Although the proposed fee is slightly more than what the City
currently charges, it is substantially less than the previously adopted fee of $4,014.
Staff has thoroughly reviewed the consultant's allocation methodology and believes that
the proposed Sewer Facility Fee is both reasonable and defensible since the costs are
equitably allocated to new development based on capacity.
If the City Council approves the proposed resolution increasing the Sewer Facility Fee,
the new fee will go into effect on August 21, 2006. Any building permit issued on or
Staff Report
June 21, 2006 -- Page 4
Proposed Increase in Sewer Facility Fee
before August 21 2006, shall be subject to the fees that were in effect prior to adoption
of this resolution.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Connection fees are not a stable source of revenues since they fluctuate based on the
amount of new developed occurring each year. Over the past ten years, the City has
collected on average about $787,000 in Sewer Facility Fees from an average of 266
new EDUs. Due to the construction boom that has been experienced in the past two
years, the City has received substantially more revenues. In 2004, the City collected
approximately $1,881,000 in Sewer Facility Fees from 781 EDUs.
Tr q L. Butzlaff, s nt City Manager David H. Ready, ity Man-tiger
Attac ents:
1. Resolution
RESOLUTION NO.
OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS,
CALIFORNIA, ADOPTING AN INCREASE IN THE SEWER
FACILITY FEE ASSESSED ON NEW CONSTRUCTION
---------------
WHEREAS, in November of 1974, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 11247
establishing a Sewer Facility Fee; and
WHEREAS, this fee has been used to recover the costs of wastewater infrastructure
needed to serve new development, as well as the costs for increasing capacity of existing
facilities to serve growth; and
WHEREAS, the City Council has suspended full collection of this fee since 2000 to help
foster economic development within the community; and
WHEREAS, the current fee suspension is scheduled to expire on June 30, 2006; and
WHEREAS, the City Council has determined that a comprehensive review of the fees the
City charges for sewer services is needed to determine whether these fees adequately
recover the costs of capacity in existing infrastructure that will benefit new development,
as well as the costs for capacity in future facilities that will be needed to serve growth;
and
WHEREAS, the City contracted with Bartle Wells Associates for a comprehensive
evaluation of the City's existing sewer fees, including the Sewer Facility Fee; and
WHEREAS, Bartle Wells Associates prepared a study, Wastewater Rate Study and
Facility Fee Update ("Study"), in July of 2005, that recommends an increase to the City's
Sewer Facility Fee and explains the nexus between the imposition of the fee and the
estimated reasonable cost to build additional infrastructure to serve new development or
to finance needed sewer plant expansion; and
WHEREAS, the City Council desires to increase the Sewer Facility Fee, in accordance
with the nexus calculations and recommendations in the Study; and
WHEREAS, in compliance with the Mitigation Fee Act (Government Code Section 66000
et seq.), the City Council held a noticed public hearing on June 21, 2006 to solicit public
input on the proposed increase in the Sewer Facility Fee.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:
Section 1. The City Council has considered all of the evidence submitted into the
administrative record which includes, but is not limited to, the following:
a) The Study prepared by Bartle Wells Associates;
b) The staff report and presentation at the public hearing conducted by the City
Council;
c:) Public comments, both written and oral, received and/or submitted at, or prior to,
the Board of Directors public hearing supporting and/or opposing the staff
recommendation;
Section 2. For the period commencing July 1, 2006, the authorized Sewer Facility Fee
assessed on new construction shall be as follows:
Type of Construction Authorized Fee
A. Residential Units (single-family, apartments, $3,000/EDU'
co-op apartments, condominiums and mobile home
park spaces).
B. Commercial and Industrial UnitS2 $306/Fixture Unit
C. Hotel Room3
Without Kitchens $1,290/Unit
With Kitchens $1,500/Unit
D. Recreational Vehicle Spaces4 $2,340/Space
E. Properties Adjacent to City5 $6,000/unit
I EDU stands for Equivalent Dwelling Unit
2 Commercial and industrial customers are assigned EDUs based on the number of commercial plumbing fixture
units per account with 1 EDU equivalent to about every 10.2 commercial fixtures.
a Hotels without kitchens are assessed a fee equivalent to 43% of an EDU; hotels with kitchens are assessed the
equivalent of 50% of an EDU.
4 The fee for recreational vehicle parks are based on the number of vehicle/camping spaces and the number of
fixture units. Each vehicle space is billed a rate equivalent to 78% of an EDU
e Customers located outside the City's boundaries pay fees that are 150%of the standard EDU.
Section 3. Timing of Fee.
A Sewer Facility Fee shall be imposed upon the issuance of any development permit and
shall be paid prior to issuance of a certificate of occupancy for the project, or at such
earlier time as permitted by law, as set forth in Government Code section 66007. A
"development permit" means any permit or approval from the City including, but not
limited to, subdivision map, revised final planned development, building permit or other
permit for construction or reconstruction.
(a) All building permit applications that were received by the City's Building
Department on or before July 1, 2006, and based upon the submissions made by that
date, have been deemed by the City to be accepted for review to determine their
compliance with City's requirements, shall be processed on a first-come, first-served
basis, in accordance with the City's standard policies and practices, and those permits
that are issued on or before August 21, 2006, shall be subject to the fees that applied
prior to adoption of this resolution;
(b) Except as provided in subparagraph (a) above, the fees adopted by this
resolution shall take effect on August 21, 2006.
Section 4. CEQA Finding.
The adoption of the Study and the Sewer Facility Fee are categorically exempt from
environmental review pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the California Environmental
Quality Act guidelines. The intent of the Study and Sewer Facility Fee is to provide one
way to fund projects and services that have been identified in environmental analyses of
other planning efforts, including the General Plan, and various City master plans, among
others.
Section 5. Severability.
If any action, subsection, sentence, clause or phrase of this resolution or the imposition of
the Sewer Facility Fee on new development or the application thereof to any person or
circumstance shall be held invalid or unconstitutional by a court of competent jurisdiction,
such invalidity shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this resolution or
other fees levied by this resolution that can be given effect without the invalid provisions
or application of fees.
Section 6. Effective Date.
Consistent with California Government Code Section 66017(a), the fees adopted by this
resolution shall take effect sixty (60) days following the adoption of this resolution by the
City Council.
ADOPTED this day of 2006.
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ATTEST: CITY OF PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA
By:_
City Clerk City Manager
REb'IEWED AND ADOPTED AS TO FORM:
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF PALM SPRINGS
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City Council of the City of Palm Springs,
California, will hold a public hearing, pursuant to Government Code Section 66018, at
its meeting of June 21, 2006, to consider a proposed increase in the Sewer Connection
Fee for new development. The City Council meeting begins at 6:00 p.m., in the Council
Chamber at City Hall, 3200 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs.
Sewer Connection Fees are one-time charges levied to recover the costs of wastewater
infrastructure needed to serve new development. The City currently collects this fee on
new development at the time a building permit is issued.
To properly evaluate the adequacy of sewer rates to fund the long-term operating and
capital needs of the City's wastewater collection system, the City retained a consultant
to prepare a Wastewater Rate Study and Facility Fee Update. Based on this study, the
consultant has recommended an increase in the Sewer Connection Fee. The current
connection fees and the proposed fees to become effective July 1, 2006 are as follows:
Current Fee Proposed Fee
A. Residential Units (single-family, $2,408/EDU $3,000/EDU'
apartments, co-op apartments,
condominiums and mobile home
park spaces).
B. Commercial and Industrial Unitsz $203/Fixture Unit $306/Fixture Unit
C. Hotel Room3
Without Kitchens $1,046/Unit $1,290/Unit
With Kitchens $1,198/Unit $1,500/Unit
D. Recreational Vehicle Spaces4 $1,873/Space $2,340/Space
E. Properties Adjacent to City5 $2,809/unit $6,000/unit
' EDU stands for Equivalent Dwelling Unit
2 Commercial and industrial customers are assigned EDUs based on the number of commercial
plumbing fixture units per account with 1 EDU equivalent to about every 10.2 commercial fixtures.
3 Hotels without kitchens are assessed a fee equivalent to 43% of an EDU; hotels with kitchens are
assessed the equivalent of 50% of an EDU.
4 The fee for recreational vehicle parks are based on the number of vehicle/camping spaces and the
number of fixture units. Each vehicle space is billed a rate equivalent to 78% of an EDU
5 Customers located outside the City's boundaries pay fees that are 150% of the standard EDU.
The purpose of this hearing is to solicit public comments on the proposed fee increase
prior to the adoption of a Resolution. Under state law, the City can recover the costs of
capacity in existing infrastructure that will benefit new development, as well as the costs
for capacity in future facilities that must be built to serve growth.
REVIEW OF INFORMATION: The Wastewater Rate Study and Facility Fee Update is
available for public review at City Hall between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
Monday through Friday. Please contact the City Clerk's Department at (760) 323-8204 if
You would like to schedule an appointment to review this document.
COMMENT ON THIS MATTER: Response to this notice can be made verbally at the
Public Hearing and/or in writing before the hearing. Written comments can be made to
the City Council by letter (for mail or hand delivery) to:
James Thompson, City Clerk
3200 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way
P.O. Box 2743
Palm Springs, CA 92263
Any challenge of the proposed project in court may be limited to raising only those
issues raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence
delivered to the City Clerk at, or prior, to the public hearing. (Government Code Section
65009(b)(2)).
An opportunity will be given at said hearing for all interested persons to be heard.
Questions regarding this case may be directed to Troy Butzlaff, Assistant City Manager,
at (760) 322-8336.
Si necesita ayuda con esta carta, porfavor Ilame a la Ciudad de Palm Springs y puede
hablar con Nadine Fieger telefono (760) 323-8245.
J mes Thompson, City CA*
ALM
�` ?N City of Palm Springs
Office of the City Cleric
t 0R„o.p,V� *11 3200 E.Taliquitz Canyon Way ° Palm Springs,California 92262
C �P Tel:(760)323-8204 a Pas: (760)322-8332 ° Web: www.ci.palm-springs.ca us
q</F�DR�
AFFIDAVIT
OF
MAILING NOTICES
I, the undersigned City Clerk of the City of Palm Springs, California, do hereby
certify that a copy of the Notice of Public Hearing, to consider proposed increase to
the Sewer Connection Fee for new development, was mailed to Ed Kibbey, The
Building Industry Association, 77-570 Springfield Lane, Suite E, Palm Desert, CA
92211, on the 3rd day of May, 2006, in a sealed envelope, with postage prepaid,
and depositing same in the U.S. Mail at Palm Springs, California.
I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct.
_ Dated at Palm Springs, California, this 6th day of June, 2006.
MES THOMPSON f
/City Clerk
/kdh
H:\USERS\C-CMHearing Notices\Affidavit-Sewer Con Fees 06-21-06.doc
Post Office Box 2743 • Palm Springs, California 92263-2743