03-02-2006 BPU Minutes A - Laserfiche WebLink

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1� So sc"90 ALVORD UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT > T 4 7 0 10365 Keller Avenue a Riverside,California 92505 Telephone: (951)509-5000 Fax: (951)509-6070 896 BOARD OF EDLICATION Riverside Public Utilities K R.ZACK EARP City of Riverside president 3900 Main Street BEN JOHNSON 11 Vice Pr" Riverside, California 92522 GREG KRAFT Clerk Attn: David Wright, Director JOSE LL IS PERU Riverside Public Utilities Metnb� ROSE NAAMEH Member Members, Riverside Public Utilities Commission ADMINISTRATION Re: Public Hearing on Proposed Water Rate Increase PAL LC,JESSI:P March 2, 2006 Superintendent of Schools KATHERINE A.WRIGHT.Ed.D. Dear Dave and Commission Members: Deputy Superlintndint WENDEL W.MCKEFL Ph.D. Assistant Superintendent The Alvord Unified School District (District) is in receipt of a Notice regarding OperadonaP Support Services SUZANN C YL PICKUP.Ed.D. proposed water rate increases to be imposed by the City of Riverside (City). Assistant Superintendent The District desires to provide written comments relative to the City's proposed Personnel Str0ces ERNESTO A.ACOSTA action. Controller I The District is one of the City's largest water customers. The District's www.sJvord.k12.ca.us schools serve approximately 20,000 students in kindergarten and grades 1 through 12. The District is one of the region's largest employers, employing approximately 2,000 full and part-time employees. 2. Based on current consumption levels, the proposed rate increase of roughly 20% per year for each of the next three years would amount to a rough increase of $131,000 over this period of time. Furthermore, the District is currently constructing or in design on an additional elementary school and a high school that will open in this timefirame and would be served by the City. 3. School district funding is governed almost entirely by the State of California. The State allocates an annual cost of living adjustment (COLA) to the District to cover increased costs of operations. The average COLA over the past several years has been around 3%per year. 4. The District is not able to pass on these increased costs to our "customers" but must absorb them into our operation. A dramatic increase of 20% per year in one component of our utility consumption will require budget reductions in other areas.