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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019-20 Amemding the existing surcharge to water meters for the purpose of generating and dedicating general fund resources for additinal work as part of Ashland Forest Resiliency and Wildfire Safety ProgramsPage 1 of 2 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 RESOLUTION NO. 2019-20 A RESOLUTION AMENDINGING THE EXISTING SURCHARGE TO WATER METERS FOR THE PURPOSE OF GENERATING AND DEDICATING GENERAL FUND RESOURCES FOR ADDITIONAL WORK AS PART OF ASHLAND FOREST RESILIENCY AND WILDFIRE SAFETY PROGRAMS Recitals: A. The City of Ashland operates Ashland Water Utility to provide potable water to customers within the City limits of Ashland and to certain customers outside of these boundaries. B. The City of Ashland also manages a Wildfire Division that is charged with doing work to protect the watershed and community. The Ashland Forest Resiliency (AFR) and AFR All -lands Program is part of that division's oversight, performed by the Fire Department in the General Fund. C. The AFR program's success in the watershed and wildland urban interface requires additional funding estimated at $377,500 per year to further and maintain the work done to date across federal, private, and municipal properties strategic to the City's water utility, and life and property safety mission. D. Protection of the watershed and community has a direct relationship to the City's ability to provide potable water to customers in the amounts needed in sufficient quantities allowed by the size and use of the water meter. E. Increasing the existing surcharge on water utility customer meters is a reasonable means of funding increased, ongoing AFR and related Wildfire Division work in that the funding source is rationally related to the goal of ensuring water quality and continuity for the City. F. The City Council intends to only use the funds generated by this surcharge for AFR and wildfire safety program activity in the General Fund. THE CITY OF ASHLAND RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. A $3.00 per equivalent 3/4" meter surcharge on each water meter per Exhibit A shall be added monthly to the bill of each Ashland water utility customer to provide a funding resource directly to the General Fund, Fire Department, and Wildfire Division for the purpose of added Ashland Forest Resiliency and related wildfire safety work of $377,500 per year effective July 1, 2019. SECTION 2. The surcharge revenue is not subject to any franchise fee calculation and is to be directly deposited to the General Fund and accounted for separately. SECTION 3. Water meters for City and Parks department are exempted from this surcharge since levying this charge would only require passing the impact on to customers through other rates and fees. Resolution No. 2019-20 Page 1 of 2 Page 2 of 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1] 12 13 14 15 16 17 19 20 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 This resolution was duly PASSED and ADOPTED this 18th day of June, 2019, and takes effect upon signing by the Mayor. Melissa Huhtala, City Recorder SIGNED and APPROVED this 18th day of June, 2019. Reviewed as to form: " C'- !!I avid Lohman, City Attorney Resolution No. 2019-20 NJo Stromberg, Mayor Page 2 of 2