The Lakeport City Council, with the help of a $40,000 Washington consultant and its half a million dollar staff, has been working for three years on this 100-percent water and sewer rate increase that is supposedly “only for necessary projects.”

While the city council was disappointed with the lack of public input in this process, when they had a room full of people, they responded by limiting the public’s responses to their three-year plan to only three minutes.

Despite this drastic time limit, the public was able to tell the council that their lists of “necessary” projects included $900,000 worth of new electronic water meters that are not required by the state.

It took the public, who aren’t on the city payroll, to get the city staff to admit to the council that the new electronic water meters are not required.  

What else does the city’s wish list have that is not necessary?

Isn’t it strange that the S. Main area has survived for 30-plus years with the existing water line that  now suddenly has a “health and safety problem,” that requires a $1 million-plus loop to the new college site. Why do the rate payers have to pay for this, instead of the owners of the land the city hopes to annex?  

Isn’t it strange that the north half of Lakeport, whose sewage flows north to the county’s sewer plant for treatment and disposal, is going to be charged new and higher rates, which is equal to the south portion of the city when the city doesn’t even process or dispose of the effluent?  

Has anyone noticed that Proposition 218 prohibits the city from charging us more than the actual cost of our service, yet their notice tells us our water rate includes the cost of watering the city parks?

There is an election coming up in six weeks for three seats on the Lakeport City Council. On Tuesday, Oct. 2,  watch to see if the council votes to saddle you with a bill for the unnecessary projects.

While the city council gets to vote on the rate increases, you get to vote on whether they stay for another term. Look for the candidates that will stop or moderate this horrible increase.

Thanks to everyone who filed a protest.

Bob Bridges lives in Lakeport, Calif.