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⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.
Findings and Recommendations 13 findings
F1
EBMUD has developed and adopted a tiered water rate structure for SFR customers that complies with Article X and Article XIII D, section 6(b) of the California Constitution.
No recommendations for this finding
F2
EBMUD water rates have been increasing three to five times faster than the Consumer Price Index over the last seven years.
No recommendations for this finding
F3
Customers are impacted by the fact that EBMUD’s costs need to be covered regardless of how much or how little water customers use.
No recommendations for this finding
F4
SFR Tier 1 rates are based on average indoor water use, which is similar among customers east and west of the Oakland/Berkeley Hills.
No recommendations for this finding
F5
EBMUD’s SFR customers east and west of the Oakland/Berkeley Hills differ in terms of their outdoor water use.
No recommendations for this finding
F6
EBMUD uses average summer SFR monthly water use from both east and west of the Oakland/Berkeley Hills to set the break point between SFR Tiers 2 and 3.
No recommendations for this finding
F7
Since summer temperatures are warmer, lot sizes are larger, and properties are more heavily landscaped east of the Oakland/Berkeley Hills, customers east of the Hills incur Tier 3 rates more frequently than customers west of the Hills.
Related Recommendations (1)
R7
The EBMUD Board should consider holding board meetings at varying locations including locations east of the Oakland/Berkeley Hills, such as in Walnut Creek,
F8
EBMUD’s SFR customers east and west of the Oakland/Berkeley Hills are not homogeneous in terms of their lot sizes, summer temperatures, and resulting outdoor need for water.
Related Recommendations (1)
R7
The EBMUD Board should consider holding board meetings at varying locations including locations east of the Oakland/Berkeley Hills, such as in Walnut Creek,
F9
EBMUD has not provided its customers with a narrative explanation for the cost of service, the allocation of costs among its various customer classes, or within each customer class.
Related Recommendations (3)
R1
The EBMUD Board should consider directing its General Manager to improve transparency by providing customers with a narrative explanation of the cost-of- service methodology, as recommended by the League of California Cities,
R2
The EBMUD Board should consider directing its General Manager to include a discussion of how rates are set and alternative methods of setting rates in the narrative explanation,
R5
The EBMUD Board should consider directing its General Manager to develop a plan to improve transparency and better engage customers in how it sets its water rates
F10
EBMUD has alternative methods available to it for setting rates: increasing the fixed rate, creating two separate classes of SFR customers, and adopting a Water Budget rate structure.
Related Recommendations (2)
R3
The EBMUD Board should consider directing its General Manager to solicit customer input and participation in its examination of Water Budget rate structures by establishing a customer advisory committee
R4
The EBMUD Board should consider directing its General Manager to complete an analysis of Water Budget rate structures and communicate its findings to customers
F11
Following a Board workshop in 2016, EBMUD staff recommended that the Board continue to explore Water Budget rates.
Related Recommendations (2)
R3
The EBMUD Board should consider directing its General Manager to solicit customer input and participation in its examination of Water Budget rate structures by establishing a customer advisory committee
R4
The EBMUD Board should consider directing its General Manager to complete an analysis of Water Budget rate structures and communicate its findings to customers
F12
The Board meets twice a month on weekday afternoons in Oakland.
Related Recommendations (1)
R6
The EBMUD Board should consider holding board meetings during weekday evenings,
F13
EBMUD continues to evaluate providing video recording and live-streaming of Board meetings.
Related Recommendations (2)
R8
The EBMUD Board should consider directing its General Manager to complete the evaluation of live-streaming of Board meetings
R9
The EBMUD Board should consider streaming online or televising its board meetings to encourage public participation and understanding of its activities