Title
Presentation and discussion of third party pass through rate increases.
Staff Summary
• Lake County Public Works purchases water production or water reclamation services from approximately eight organizations and embeds these costs into the retail customer rate. The County is notified of third-party rate increases throughout the year which typically coincide with the third party’s fiscal year. The Department seeks clarity on how to pass on the cost increases.
• The Committee’s general direction has been to limit retail customer rate increases to one per calendar year. Options 1-5 below list how this can be accomplished or ways the current practice might be changed.
• Option 1. Hold rate increases until the County Annual rate ordinance review in December and carry the loss within the enterprise fund until the revenue is recovered in the next multiyear rate study. Committee review would be required for any rate increase creating more than $25,000.00 revenue loss per case or $50,000.00 total revenue loss during a year.
• Option 2. Hold rate increases until the County Annual rate ordinance review in December and use a surcharge to recover revenue over the following 12 months. Committee review would be required for any rate increase creating more than $25,000.00 revenue loss per case or $50,000.00 total revenue loss during a year.
• Option 3. Hold rate increases and pass them along to customers on a six-month May & December and use a surcharge to recover revenue over the following 12 months. Committee review would be required for any rate increase creating more than $25,000.00 revenue loss per case or $50,000.00 total revenue loss during a year.
• Option 4. Passthrough rate increases to customers as they arrive.
• Option 5. Modify agreements to limit the implementation of third-party rate increases to December 1 of each year. Current agreements typically require 60-90 days’ notice.