Nipomo Will Increase Water Rates Despite Community Protest
NIPOMO, Calif. (KEYT) - Nipomo residents attended a public hearing today, to voice their opposition to significant water rate increases over the next three years.
The vote passed.
The Nipomo Community Services District says water rate increases are needed to pay for system maintenance, technological upgrades and inflation.
“I have a son who goes to high school in Nipomo,” says resident Angel Ramirez. “And he's come to me asking, hey, this person is asking if they can come to our house, if it's okay if they could shower, because their water is so expensive that they can't even pay their bills right now and that it's shut off.”
Residents logged nearly 500 protests in writing and public comment.
“This hits me really hard,” says Kitt Jenae, who lives in Nipomo. “I mean, if I spend $500 extra in a year for something, I think hard about spending that kind of money. And this is like, I don't even have a choice.”
Locals addressed the Nipomo Community Services District Board Of Directors saying an increase of 41% is an unreasonable burden on their already-strained budgets.
They also criticized a lack of transparency from the board to the community they represent.
“I am looking at not being able to stay here because it's just getting—and I don’t, you know, my Social Security is not that high either.”
One local blames years of bad decisions for the current situation.
“The piping evidently was offered to come down and they didn't take it at that time,” says Jenae. “The pipe, the state water, went down to Santa Maria. Now they're having to pipe it back here. I totally feel gut punched.”
Residents tried but failed to get enough signatures to stop the vote.
The rate increase passed in a 3-to-2 vote.
“We have to be better on communicating with each other, to taking care of each other so we can have a tomorrow,” says Ramirez.
The yearly 13% increase is expected to start in February.
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