The El Macero County Service Area (CSA) levies a sewer fee and a water operations fee to provide sources of funding for sewer and water operation services in El Macero that the CSA would not otherwise be able to fund, and which were calculated in order to appropriately spread applicable costs amongst users according to the cost of providing service to that user. Periodically, the charges for CSA services should be re-examined to determine whether the revenue being collected covers all the costs related to providing the service, and builds adequate reserves if necessary. When a change in the fee is warranted, Proposition 218 proceedings are conducted.
Sewer Charge
The El Macero CSA provides sewer services through contract with the City of Davis. The CSA’s sewer rate, which has been charged equally to all occupied residential parcels, at a reduced rate to property owners of vacant lots and at a higher rate to the El Macero Country Club, was last revised in 2005 as sewer-related expenses were outpacing CSA revenue.
In 2015, the County entered into a settlement agreement with the City of Davis which identified the method in which the City would charge El Macero CSA for sewer service in El Macero, including different rates for single-family residences vs. condos vs. commercial (the El Macero Country Club), and at no charge for vacant lots. As such, the proposed CSA sewer charge takes into account these variances in how the City charges the entire CSA for sewer service, and then the CSA sewer charge is distributed within these categories. The proposed rate changes also includes the cost of CSA administration related to sewer service. More detail on the annual cost of sewer service is available in the attached public notice.
The current and proposed amounts chargeable per year to each owner’s parcel are provided below. If approved, these charges will be collected annually on the property tax roll as maximum rates until the El Macero CSA determines that the fee requires further adjustment or is no longer necessary.
Proposed El Macero CSA Sewer Fees
| Fee Type |
Number of Parcels in the CSA |
Current 2018-19
Fee |
Proposed 2019-20
Fee |
Total
2019-20
Revenue
|
| Sewer Charge – Single Family Parcel |
403 |
$596 |
$516.50 |
$208,150 |
| Sewer Charge – Condos |
37 |
$596 |
$371 |
$13,727 |
| Sewer Charge – El Macero Country Club |
1 |
$11,912 |
$6,865 |
$6,865 |
| Sewer Charge – Vacant Lot |
7 |
$429 |
$0 |
$0 |
| Total amount of charge against all parcels in the CSA |
$228,742 |
Note: Beginning on July 1, 2020 and ending on June 30, 2025, rates shall increase by no more than the Consumer Price Index (CPI-W and CPI-U) for the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, CA area for the most recent February to February as compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Water Operations Charge
The water operations charge covers the costs related to providing water services to El Macero, above and beyond the City of Davis’ costs for potable water which are passed through to El Macero residents. The CSA proposes to maintain Well EM-3 for current irrigation needs and possible future uses. The proposed water operations fee is partially based on the March 2019 Well Asset Management Report, as well as Well Use Agreement 16-184 with the El Macero Country Club which obligates the Club to regularly operate the well and the use of existing fund balance for replacement costs. The proposed water operations fee also considers Water Use Agreement No. 16-182 with the Club which provides non-potable water to the CSA for CSA purposes and CSA administration costs related to providing all water services. More detail on the annual cost of water operations service is available in the attached public notice.
Proposed El Macero CSA Water Operations Fees
The current and proposed amounts chargeable per year to each owner’s parcel are provided below. As all properties receive the same benefit from services related to the water operations, the proposed fee will be the same for all properties. If approved, these charges will be collected annually on the property tax roll as maximum rates until the El Macero CSA determines that the fee requires further adjustment or is no longer necessary.
| Fee Type |
Number of Parcels in the CSA |
Current
2018-19
Fee* |
Proposed 2019-20
Fee |
Total
2019-20
Revenue
|
| Water Operations Charge – Single Family Parcel |
403 |
$50 |
$43 |
$17,329 |
| Water Operations Charge – Condos |
37 |
$50 |
$43 |
$1,591 |
| Water Operations Charge – Country Club |
1 |
$1,000 |
$43 |
$43 |
| Water Operations Charge – Vacant Lot |
7 |
$33 |
$43 |
$301 |
| Total amount of charge against all parcels in the CSA |
$19,264 |
* The current water operations charge was set in 1997.
Note: Beginning on July 1, 2020 and ending on June 30, 2025, rates shall increase by no more than the Consumer Price Index (CPI-W and CPI-U) for the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, CA area for the most recent February to February as compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. |