C-2 18-0565 An Ordinance to Amend Sections 2:61 through 2:64, and 2:69, and to Repeal Section 2:73 of Chapter 29 (Change Water, Sewer, and Stormwater Rates) of Title II of the Code of the City of Ann Arbor
I oppose these changes because it appears that there is a fundamental flaw in the method used to calculate the tiered structure. We were told at public meetings that the city has the ability to measure water use twice a day per meter. We were also told that the city reports surge in residential use during summer months, and therefore has set cost structure & usage tiers based on this summer peak residential demand. If both of these statements are true, the city should have the ability to increase charges for service based not broadly on property type (Residential vs. Multi-family) but at a much finer grain, based only on address. Why should residential meter addresses who do not have sprinkler systems, for example, and therefore do not drive up demand in summer, be placed in the same punitive category as those addresses that do use H2O in excess? H2O-conservative households are punished simply by having Residential zoning designation. Unfair application of COS data!
I oppose these changes because it appears that there is a fundamental flaw in the method used to calculate the tiered structure. We were told at public meetings that the city has the ability to measure water use twice a day per meter. We were also told that the city reports surge in residential use during summer months, and therefore has set cost structure & usage tiers based on this summer peak residential demand. If both of these statements are true, the city should have the ability to increase charges for service based not broadly on property type (Residential vs. Multi-family) but at a much finer grain, based only on address. Why should residential meter addresses who do not have sprinkler systems, for example, and therefore do not drive up demand in summer, be placed in the same punitive category as those addresses that do use H2O in excess? H2O-conservative households are punished simply by having Residential zoning designation. Unfair application of COS data!