About 30 people showed up last night at a public information forum hosted by the Hi-Desert Water District about a proposed rate increase. Managing editor Tami Roleff was at the meeting and files this report…
Hi-Desert Water District Communications Officer Jennifer Poland led the forum with a slide show presentation outlining the changes. The rate changes will take effect February 1, assuming the water board approves the changes at its January 22 meeting. Chief Financial Officer Jonathan Abedesco stressed that the February 1 change in water connection charges was originally scheduled to take effect last July, but was postponed. More importantly, the service connection rate that goes into effect February 1 is about $ lower than the current connection charge.
A 3 percent increase for the amount of water used will go into effect July 1. The water district currently has four price tiers for purchasing water; as of February 1, it will change to 3 tiers, with the third tier starting at 11 hundred cubic feet instead of the current 28 hcf (Hcf = hundred cubic feet).
