Rate hikes for Robbins planned

Robbins' financially upside-down waterworks system will be the focus tonight of Sutter County supervisors.

The supervisors, who also act as directors of Water Works District No. 1, which serves Robbins, will consider four separate rate increases for the community's water and sewer rates, all of which would more than double the sewer rate and increase some residents' water rates ninefold.

The district serves 82 residences, 16 businesses, a trailer park (with 25 residences) and a school.

Robbins, which has a population of about 400, has not seen any changes in its water and sewer rates since 1992, when the monthly water rate was set at $22.50 and monthly sewer rate was set at $32.50.

However, the county says that the costs of operating the system exceed the revenues brought in through fees, and fee increases are needed to get the district out of the red.

The board will consider changing both the water and sewer rates, and can choose for two options on each: Raise the rates in one shot, or phase the rates in over a nine-month period.

The water rates will also vary for residential users depending on the size of their lots.

Under the one-shot water rate increase, residents with lots smaller than half an acre will pay $99.40 a month. Residents with lots between half an acre and two acres will pay $149.10 a month, and residents with lots larger than two acres will pay $198 a month.

If the gradual increase option is taken, residential customers will pay between $101.18 and $202.36 once the final price hike kicks in on June 1, 2009.

Sewer rates would be the same for all residential customers regardless of lot size. A one-shot increase would raise the monthly rate to $77.80, while the gradual increase would finish at $77.93 a month. The board met in Robbins in December for a previously proposed rate increase of $60.95 a month for water and $49.80 for sewer.

The residents used a successful protest under Proposition 218 for the water rate, but came up short on a sewer rate protest. But the board opted to hold off on a rate increase to form a committee to work on potential solutions.

Residents would have to file four successful protests to block all of the board's possible votes at this meeting — one for each option on both water and sewer rates.

Public meeting

What: Consideration of increases in sewer and water rates in Robbins

Who: Sutter County supervisors, sitting as Water Works District No. 1 directors

When: 7 p.m. today

Where: 17540 Robbins Circle, Robbins

Contact Appeal reporter Robert LaHue at 749-4713 or rlahue@appeal-democrat.com