12 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY OCTOBER 2-8, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com Faced with deteriorating sewer infrastructure and rates that had not gone up in over a decade, Salinas City Council voted in April to approve rate increases. “It is pretty critical that we move this forward…we need to maintain our infrastructure,” Finance Director Selina Andrews told council. Since 2012, Salinas residents paid $5.45/month for their sewer service. A study by a third-party consultant found that service payments were insufficient to provide the necessary revenue for infrastructure improvements. After City Council’s approval, ratepayers had an opportunity to weigh in and protest the new rates under Proposition 218. The city sent out 34,537 notices on July 11 to property owners, giving them an opportunity to oppose the increases. If more than 50 percent (15,952) of those recipients did so, the increase could not take effect. As of Sept. 19, the city received only 58 protest responses opposing the rate change, and on Sept. 23, City Council voted 6-1, with Andrew Sandoval opposing, to certify the new rate structure, tripling bills effective Oct. 1. With the new rates, the bill for a single-family home will go up from $5.45/month to $16.35/month, and will increase to $17.70 by 2029. The council also voted on the same day to establish an assistance program to help low-income residents pay their sewer bills. Council unanimously approved the program and will provide financial assistance covering 15 percent of bills for low-income ratepayers, benefiting up to 5,096 people. Council set aside $150,000 to fund the program. The assistance program will run independently from sewer bills to make it accessible to people in multi-family units, including apartments, duplexes and mobile homes. Eligible ratepayers will receive a one-time annual payment for 15 percent of their sewer charges for the fiscal year. People participating in PG&E’s California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) program may qualify; individuals enrolled in the city’s Affordable Income and Rent Limits programs or the Section 8 Housing Choice voucher program are not eligible because they already receive utility assistance. Salinas operates its own sanitary sewer collection system, covering 12,430 acres, and then sends the wastewater to Monterey One Water for treatment. (M1W, which serves a bigger region, is the agency that bills residents for both services, so they will see the increase reflected on their M1W bills.) There are multiple water stories happening right now in the Monterey Peninsula, following parallel tracks. There’s the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District’s effort to buy out Cal Am’s local system, which is working its way through litigation. And there’s Cal Am’s effort to build a desalination project in Marina, which Cal Am has repeatedly said it intends to start building by the end of this year. The latest update to the most recent chapter of that saga is that on Sept. 22, MPWMD, Marina Coast Water District and the City of Marina filed a motion with the California Public Utilities Commission asking that the agency set aside its Aug. 14 approval of the Peninsula’s water supply and projected demand in 2050 due to vagueness on multiple issues created by a dilemma that has long been known: The CPUC approved a 6.4 million gallons-per-day project in 2018, and the California Coastal Commission approved a 4.8 mgd project in 2022, which is the size that Cal Am intends to build, at least initially. There is a lot that hasn’t been sorted out, including how a smaller project would impact ratepayers, and who has to pay for water if there’s no demand for it. Whether or not the CPUC will reopen a hearing it has just closed will be up to the CPUC, but for the public agencies making the motion, it preserves the right to litigate the decision in the future. Meanwhile, the Pure Water Monterey expansion is right around the corner, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony set to take place on Thursday, Oct. 2. The expansion brings the recycled water project up from 5 million gallonsper-day to 7.6 mgd of purified water injected into the Seaside Basin. So now, MPWMD General Manager Dave Stoldt is laser-focused on convincing the State Water Board to lift its cease-anddesist order against Cal Am so that finally, Peninsula ratepayers can install new water meters. “Let’s lift the guardrails and see if we can handle prosperity,” Stoldt says. Drain Pipe Sewer rates in Salinas triple after Prop. 218, and an assistance program launches. By Celia Jiménez NEWS HOUSING RIGHTS A workshop presents information about housing-related rights for tenants, landlords and property managers. Representatives from ECHO Housing and Housing Resource Center of Monterey County present. 6-7:30pm Thursday, Oct. 2. North Salinas High School Library, 55 Kip Drive, Salinas. Free. Also available via Zoom at bit.ly/4nnm8CA. 566-0824, echofairhousing.org. FIRE IT UP Seaside Fire Department hosts its annual open house. The family-friendly event includes live demonstrations, barbecue and more. 9am-2pm Saturday, Oct. 4. Seaside Fire Department, 1635 Broadway Ave., Seaside. Free. 899-6790, ci.seaside. ca.us/824/firedepartment. LIVE TO LEARN This community wellness carnival makes it fun to learn about resources to maintain physical and mental health for all ages. In addition to interactive workshops, there are optometrist eye screenings, recycled glasses distribution, diabetes tests, hearing tests and more. 9am-3pm Sunday, Oct. 5. Monterey County Office of Education, 901 Blanco Circle, Salinas. Free. 755-0301, montereycoe.org. ON THE DAIS The Hartnell College Board of Trustees meets and accepts public comments. 5:30pm Tuesday, Oct. 7. Hartnell College, Alisal Campus, 1752 E. Alisal St., Salinas. Free. hartnell.edu/about/ hccdgb. LOOKING TO HIRE Monterey County Works hosts a job fair to connect local employers with job seekers. Attendees are encouraged to bring their résumés and dress to impress. 1-4pm Wednesday, Oct. 8. Career Center, 344 Salinas St., Suites 205206, Salinas. Free. 796-3335. Register at montereycountyworks.com. CUT BACK Marina Tree Committee meets to consider a permit that will remove up to 95 trees along California Avenue. The trees are along a segment of the Fort Ord Regional Trail and Greenway project. 5:30pm Wednesday, Oct. 8. City Hall, 211 Hillcrest Ave., Marina. Free. 8841251, cityofmarina.org. MONEY MOVES CSU Monterey Bay Business Professor Subhra Saha leads a session covering strategies to build generational wealth. Noon-1pm Thursday, Oct. 9. CSUMB Business and IT Building, Room 112, 3052 Divarty St., Marina. Free. Also on Zoom. bit.ly/MoneyMovesOct9. Drip, Drop A recycled water expansion is coming soon to the Monterey Peninsula—desal, not so much. By David Schmalz Parts of Salinas’ aging sewer infrastructure are nearing the end of their life. Revenue from a rate increase is slated to go toward improvements. E-MAIL: toolbox@montereycountynow.com TOOLBOX The city received only 58 protest responses. COURTESY OF CITY OF SALINAS
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