The City of Penticton is looking for community members to lead the city’s review of utility rates, including electricity, sanitary sewer and irrigation water.
City hall will be undertaking the review in 2018, with the intention of developing a “sustainable rate structure.”
The city is looking to form a committee to oversee that review, consisting of four community members with interest in and availability to join staff on the rate review committee. In particular, the city is looking for residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural utility users to get some diversity in opinions, as well as people with experience in accounting and finance.
The project is expected to run from Jan. 23 to July 17 next year, and city staff anticipate the committee to meet four times, along with public participation at public engagement sessions.
The study will be looking at 10 key areas:
- The administration/overhead fee charged to each utility.
- The electrical utility dividend.
- Adjustments to the sanitary sewer rate structure.
- Decoupling of the FortisBC power purchase increases from city controlled price increases.
- Revenue requirements to meet: Electricity purchase costs, operating and maintenance costs, capital costs for new capital additions, average annual lifecycle investment for asset management purposes, administration/overhead costs, debt servicing costs, transfers to reserves
- Electrical utility dividend.
- A cost of service analysis to ensure that each customer class in each of the four utilities is paying the correct amount.
- Development of rate structure options.
- Utility expense comparisons.
- Public engagement.
- Finalizing a rate structure.
Those interested in applying for a spot in the committee can download and submit a form, found on the city’s website, by Jan. 15 next year.
Forms can be sent to Mitch Moroziuk at the City of Penticton by mail or email.