"The City Council will hold a PUBLIC HEARING on September 9, 2009, at 7 PM at the City Council Chambers, 8200 Westminster Blvd.,Westminster..for hearing public testimony and receiving written protest on the proposed new water rate structure." 

Well folks you may want to enjoy this public hearing because for the next five (5) years they will be implementing rate increases 'Pursuant to California Government Code section 53756 without public hearings...ony written "notice" pursuant to Government Code 53735.  But I'm not sure how 53735 relates to this...

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=gov&group=53001-54000&file=53730.5-53737

53735. At any time after the creation of the fund the legislative body may transfer to the fund any unencumbered surplus funds remaining on hand at the end of a fiscal year.

That's my first frustration with this water rate increase, and dare not to presume that it won't be voted through by our City Council, this is a done deal.  The second frustration is that  (facetiousness runs in my blood) I think I may be getting a higher quality of water than say multi-unit family dwellings, hotels and motels, and even Commercial and Industrial.  Why would I think that?  Well, because as a Single Family Dwelling, I will be paying MORE for my water than anyone else in Tier 2!  Since I usually exceed the Tier 1 which is 0 - 28 units of water, I will be paying .51 cents more per unit than Multi-Unit Family Dwellings.  Why do I exceed that? because I, like everyone else, do laundry, take showers, run a dishwasher, and try to keep my lawn green.  Now, on the lawn issue...I have a pie shaped lot with almost a third of an acre, and because I haven't paved over everything, I have an enormous lawn in my back yard and a small front yard.  In previous years I was not watering as much because we had rain occasionally, and because it's a pain when you work all day to come home and set up lawn sprinklers to run them.  Weekends are usually reserved for shopping and running errands so that leaves little time for watering.  Now, this year, having retired, I have had time to water.  I had to spray weeds in my back yard that had taken hold in previous years.  But then I watered the lawn!  We also had to remove one giant tree that had a bad habit of dropping limbs on my house so there is less shade back there.  

As a result, my last water bill was $330 for two months.  I believe the water rate structure committee was once again hijacked and Multi-Unit Family Dwellings are getting a great water rate break.  But I want to know why we don't just all pay the same rate if it's the same water???  Why are Single Family Dwellings hit so hard with this?  I suppose I could have attended the Water Rate Structure Meetings, but my blood pressure probably couldn't have taken it.

Get there early! get a seat, remember there is also the Oral Communications section of the Agenda, and since lots of people didn't expect Andy Quach to attend the last council meeting this will be the first council meeting since early August, in which people will be able to address his DUI....