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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem K �o 00 April 24, 2000 I y o® STAFF REPORT i To: Mayor and Members of the City Council Attention: Keith R. Till, City Manager From: Stephen G. Badum, Director of Public Works/City Engineer Subject: SEWER MASTER PLAN AND RATE ADJUSTMENT SUMMARY OF REQUEST: The proposed action will approve the City's Sewer Master Plan; receive and file the Sewer Rate Study recommending the addition of a sewer capital improvement charge; open a hearing to consider implementation of the sewer capital improvement charge, receive public testimony, and continue the hearing to May 8, 2000; and introduce, for first reading, an ordinance amending Section 19C-3 of the Code of the City of Seal Beach Regarding Monthly Sewer Charges. DISCUSSION: On February 9, 1997, City Council approved a professional services agreement with AKM Consulting Engineers to prepare the City's Storm Drain and Sewer Master Plans. In February 1999, the scope of this agreement was expanded to include an analysis of the City's sewer rates. Sewer System Master Plan The City's sewer system contains over 29 miles of pipe and 9 pump stations and associated sewer force mains. The City's system serves Old Town, Marina Hill, Bridgeport, Coves, and College Park East residential areas as well as the U.S. Naval Weapons Station, Boeing, and Aquatic Park. Leisure World, Surfside, and College Park West are served by other agencies. The age of the City's backbone sewer system varies between 20 and 70 years old. Although the City has maintained these facilities over the years, most of the sewer infrastructure is nearing or exceeding its design life. Without critical capital replacement projects, maintenance costs and emergency repairs will increase dramatically. The Master Plan reveals the need to implement approximately $9.2 million in capital improvements and replacements over the next 10 years. Discussions with the Orange County Sanitation District indicate that matching funding up to $1.9 million may be available which would leave a balance of approximately $7.3 million to be financed by the 1 AGENDA ITEM/4. Sewer Master Plan&Rate Study City Council Staff Report April 24, 2000 City. The Master plan will serve as the City's strategic planning tool to insure quality sewer infrastructure. City staff recommends that City Council approve the Sewer Master Plan. The Sewer Rate Study The City's sewer rate structure is based upon usage only and there are no capital charges for improvements and replacements. Sewer user fees are currently levied at 22% of the users water bill. The current revenues cannot support the recommended capital improvement program identified in the Sewer System Master Plan. The Sewer Rate Study proposed that a monthly capital charge be added to the sewer bill to cover costs of the needed ten-year capital improvement plan. The proposed charges are based upon each users share in the sewer system. Since higher volume users have a greater investment in the system, the capital charges increase as water meter size increases. The typical residential sewer bill would be increased by $5.83 per month (3/4" or smaller meter). During the course of the Master Plan review, it was determined that the Seal Beach Boulevard Force Main, which serves all of Old Town, Bridgeport, Coves, and Marina Hill areas of Seal Beach, is in need of immediate replacement and has been designated as the first project of the ten year plan. The cost of the proposed project has been estimated at $1.3 million. The City has recently received 50% matching Federal funds in the amount of $650,000 to rehabilitate Seal Beach Boulevard from Adolfo Lopez Drive to the I-405. In order to maximize the effectiveness of this paving project, it would be appropriate to advance the sewer force main project and complete the needed work before or concurrently with the paving rehabilitation project. However, the City's cash balance in the Sewer Enterprise fund cannot cover the cost of this needed capital replacement. The use of Certificates of Participation could be used to finance the ten-year Master Plan capital projects and generate the needed funds immediately to advance the force main replacement project. The implementation of the recommended sewer capital charge is required to secure the Certificates of Participation. FISCAL IMPACT: There are no fiscal impacts at this time. Future decisions by City Council at the May 8, 2000 meeting may result in the approval of a Sewer Capital Improvement charge for sewer utility users. RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that City Council: 1. Approve the Sewer System Master Plan; 2. Receive and file the Sewer Rate Study; 3. Open a public hearing to consider the recommended sewer rate adjustment, receive public testimony, and then continue such hearing to the May 8th meeting when proposed resolutions will be scheduled for adoption; and 2 Sewer Master Plan&Rate Study City Council Staff Report April 24, 2000 4. Introduce Ordinance for first reading, Ordinance No. , An Ordinance of the City of Seal Beach Amending Section 19C-3 of the Code of the City of Seal Beach Regarding Monthly Sewer Charges. NOTED AND APPROVED Ste410-G.G. Badum, Director Keith R. Till P le - -Works Department City Manager C:\pwd\council\report\1999-2000\Rate Adjustment—Sewer Master Plan.doc 3 Mr. Keith Till April 24,2000 Page 3 A. FOR REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY APPROVAL 1. RESOLUTION OF THE REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY OF THE CITY OF SEAL BEACH AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION OF A JOINT EXERCISE OF POWERS AGREEMENT CREATING THE SEAL BEACH PUBLIC FINANCING AUTHORITY This resolution provides authorization by the Agency for the creation of the Authority(the members being the City and the Agency) and authorizes execution by the Agency of the following document: (a) Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement. See description above. The City Council and the Authority each adopt two resolutions and the Agency adopts one resolution: B. FOR CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL 1. RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SEAL BEACH AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION OF A JOINT EXERCISE OF POWERS AGREEMENT CREATING THE SEAL BEACH PUBLIC FINANCING AUTHORITY. This resolution provides authorization by the City Council for the creation of the Authority (the members being the City and the Agency) and authorizes execution by the City of the following document: (a) Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement. This is the agreement between the City and the Agency creating the Authority. 2. RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SEAL BEACH APPROVING, AUTHORIZING AND DIRECTING EXECUTION OF CERTAIN INSTALLMENT SALE FINANCING DOCUMENTS, APPROVING THE FORM AND AUTHORIZING DISTRIBUTION OF A PRELIMINARY OFFICIAL STATEMENT, IN CONNECTION WITH THE OFFERING AND SALE OF CERTIFICATES OF PARTICIPATION RELATING THERETO AND AUTHORIZING AND DIRECTING CERTAIN ACTIONS WITH RESPECT THERETO This resolution provides authorization by the City Council of an installment sale financing with certificates of participation and authorizes execution by the City of the following documents: Mr. Keith Till April 24,2000 Page 4 (a) Installment Sale Agreement. This is the agreement pursuant to which the City purchases the new sewer improvements from the Authority. This agreement requires the City to make semi-annual installment payments and requires to the City to insure and maintain the sewer enterprise throughout the term of the agreement. The City's payment obligations under this agreement are limited solely to "net revenues" of the City's sewer enterprise(gross revenues less operation and maintenance expenses) and the City's general fund is not obligated to make such payments. This agreement also requires the City to maintain a"debt service coverage ratio" of 1.25 to 1. This means that the City must collect fees and charges from users of the sewer enterprise to insure that net revenues are collected in an amount not less than 1.25 times the maximum annual amount of installment payments payable under the agreement. Also, in order to issue or incur future obligations payable from the sewer enterprise, the City will be required to evidence that the maximum annual amount of installment payments payable under the agreement and under the agreement relating to that future obligation will meet the debt service coverage ratio for the existing payment obligations as well as the proposed payment obligations. (b) Trust Agreement. This is the agreement pursuant to which the trustee bank will hold, invest and disburse certificate proceeds for the construction of the new sewer improvements and will collect installment payments from the City for disbursement to the investors. (c) Notice of Intention. State law requires that a notice of intention to publicly sell municipal securities be published. This document satisfies that requirement. (d) Notice of Sale and Bid Form. This document is mailed to prospective purchasers of the certificates, provides a summary of the issue and sets for the bid specifications. (e) Continuing Disclosure Certificate. All municipal securities issued after July 3, 1995, require that the issuer agree to provide certain annual and other information to the marketplace since the securities may be traded in the secondary market (the certificates are freely transferable by the investors). This document satisfies that requirement. (f) Preliminary Official Statement. This is the offering document (similar to a prospectus) which provides a detailed description of the City, the issue and the sources of payment. This documents permits prospective investors to make an informed investment decision regarding a purchase of the certificates. • Mr. Keith Till April 24, 2000 Page 5 C. FINANCING AUTHORITY APPROVAL I. RESOLUTION OF THE SEAL BEACH PUBLIC FINANCING AUTHORITY ADOPTING BYLAWS, ADOPTING A CONFLICT OF INTEREST CODE, ESTABLISHING A SEAL FOR THE AUTHORITY AND DIRECTING THE FILING OF A NOTICE OF FORMATION WITH THE SECRETARY OF STATE This resolution provides for some procedural items relating to the creation of the Authority and approves the following documents: (a) Authority Conflict of Interest Code. (b) Authority By-Laws. 2. RESOLUTION OF THE SEAL BEACH PUBLIC FINANCING AUTHORITY APPROVING, AUTHORIZING AND DIRECTING EXECUTION OF CERTAIN INSTALLMENT SALE FINANCING DOCUMENTS AND AUTHORIZING AND DIRECTING CERTAIN ACTIONS WITH RESPECT THERETO This resolution provides authorization by the Authority of an installment sale financing with certificates of participation and authorizes execution by the Authority of the following documents: (a) Installment Sale Agreement. See description above. (b) Assignment Agreement. Pursuant to this document, the Authority assigns its interests in the installment sale agreement, including its right to receive installment payments from the City and its rights to enforce remedies against the City for nonpayment, to the Trustee. Following this assignment, the Authority's role in the transaction effectively ends. (c) Trust Agreement. See description above. ts ;) City of Seal Beach, 211 8th Street ®®®: Seal Beach, CA 90740 fl illfflutjTfl 562-431 -2527 NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING In connection with CITY OF SEAL BEACH SEWER RATE INCREASE Dear Customer/Property Owner A public hearing has been scheduled for 7 p.m. on April 24, 2000 at City Hall, 211 8th St., Seal Beach so that you may provide comments concerning a proposed sewer rate increase. Sewer rates are levied by the City to pay for sewer collection services furnished by the City and wastewater facility improvements and replacements. The existing sewer rate for a particular parcel is 22 percent of that parcel's water rate, which rate is based on the parcel's water consumption, water meter size and land use. A Sewer System Master Plan has been prepared for the City of Seal Beach, which identifies a need for capital improvements to the City's existing sewer system in order to maintain adequate levels of service. The proposed sewer rate increase will add a capital improvement charge to the existing rate. The proposed capital improvement charge for each parcel is based on that parcel's anticipated water consumption based on its land use and water meter size. The proposed capital improvement charge for each meter size and land use is as follows: Meter Size/Land Use Proposed Capital Improvement Charge 3/a" or smaller(residential) $5.83 per month 3/a" or smaller(commercial/industrial/governmental) $6.36 per month 1" (residential) $8.06 per month 1" (commercial/industrial/governmental) $13.78 per month 1.5" (residential) $14.84 per month 1.5' (commercial/industrial/governmental) $18.02 per month 2" (residential) $23.32 per month 2" (commercial/industrial/governmental) $72.08 per month 3" (residential) $165.36 per month 3" (commercial/industrial/governmental) $199.28 per month 4" (residential) $276.66 per month 4" (commercial/industrial/governmental) $359.34 per month 6" (commercial/industrial/governmental) $507.74 per month 8" or larger(commercial/industrial/governmental) $1060.00 per month If you have any questions regarding the City's sewer rates, or the amount of your particular rate increase, please call the Public Works Department, at (562) 431-2527.