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And so it begins once again. You do know that the first step of a water rate increase here is a so-called "Water Rate Study," right? Will this be the fourth round of water rate increases in Sierra Madre in the last eight years or so? Have you looked at your water bill lately? Pretty high, right? Maybe even outrageously so? This from the latest edition of the always informative and delightfully transparent City Manager's Report (link).
The key item for today is the last one, which is the call for a discussion about a new "Water Rate Study." Apparently City Staff, perhaps on a whim, most likely not, is looking for City Council"direction" on a new study for water rates. Which usually means they want to spend around $30,000 or so to hire some wool sport jacket wearing geeked out consultant to study Sierra Madre's disastrously mismanaged and heavily leveraged water enterprise. Who, after many colorful bar charts and endless obscure blathering, will then predictably conclude that you need to spend more for your water.
After which the City Council will gush in an embarrassing and effusive way about how wonderfully the consultant's presentation went. Meaning that they got exactly what they wanted, an opportunity to take even more of your money.
Maybe that is why Bruce Inman scampered off to Bradbury. He just couldn't handle yet another one of these "processes." Too much for the old ticker, perhaps.
Speaking of Inman, here is a chunk of a Tattler article from May of 2013, which was another time when rumors of a "Water Rate Study" were a-blowing in the wind.
Who knows, maybe they can get your bill up to $700. Right? Then they will be able get themselves some new water bonds to sell. You know, start setting some real water rate records, just like they did with those double digit utility taxes. Apparently the sky is the limit when it comes to water rates and taxes in Sierra Madre.
You can read the resthere.
No word if they will be bringing in Martin Truitt to sell this one as well.
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