Proposed Beaumont Sewer Rate Increase Of 36.57 Percent Postponed

BEAUMONT, CA — The City of Beaumont announced on Thursday that they are postponing a proposed sewer rate increase in town. The process to notify residents of the increase, which is required under Proposition 218, has been halted in the interim.

City officials said in December that a rate increase is necessary to fund an expansion of Beaumont's wastewater treatment capacity from 4 million gallons per day to 6 million gallons per day.

A start date of March 1 was initially proposed with rates increasing by 4.19 percent. After that, the city proposed an annualized increase of 7 percent between January 2019 and January 2022.

If the rates go through as proposed, Beaumont residents will be paying 36.57 percent more in sewer fees by 2022, according to city documents.

Now, instead of going ahead with the required 45-day notice process, the city will hold two community meetings to explain the proposal.

Here's the press release issued by Beaumont on Thursday:

On Tuesday, December 5, 2017, the Beaumont City Council discussed an item setting the date for a community meeting regarding the proposed sewer rate increase scheduled for a Public Hearing on January 16, 2018. During the discussion, City Manager Parton recommended postponing the Proposition 218 Process to allow for a series of community meetings to address questions from the rate payers.

The City Council unanimously approved postponing the Public Hearing. Community meetings are scheduled for Monday, January 22nd and Thursday, February 15th at 6:00 p.m. at the Beaumont Civic Center. The meetings will provide background and information on the City’s sewer system, review current rates, and discuss state mandates and their future implication on the system. The City will send out another Proposition 218 Notice to all rate payers when the new Public Hearing date is established.

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Patch file photo by Renee Schiavone