Berkeley Consulting Firm Regrets Error on La Mesa Sewer Rates

A Berkeley company says it erred in its sewer-rate report for Lemon Grove—a study that triggered La Mesa criticism of a San Diego Union-Tribune article.

Douglas Dove, president of Bartle Wells Associates says:  “We regret that in our survey of surrounding communities’ sewer rates, we misread the fixed-charge portion of La Mesa’s current rate to be $19.88 per month when it is actually $19.88 for two months ($9.94 per month).”

Replying to a La Mesa Patch query, Dove said Friday via email that his survey of 13 surrounding communities’ rates was “provided for information only and in no way affects our recommendations for Lemon Grove’s rates.”

Based on the study, the Lemon Grove City Council on Tuesday sewer rates for city property owners for the first time since 2007.

Current monthly charges are $40.18 for a single-family home. The new model allows Lemon Grove to raise the rate 3.75 percent annually for the next five years, boosting fees from $41.69 this year up to $48.30 by 2016, according to Lemon Grove Patch.

But the study that led to the rate hike put La Mesa’s sewer rate at more than $50 a month, according to a chart in the report—the highest of the 13 agencies surveyed.

On Thursday, a press release from La Mesa Public Works Director Greg Humora said: “La Mesa would like to point out that there was a mistake made in the calculation of its sewer rate. … The calculation was made using La Mesa’s total ‘bimonthly’ base charge instead of half this figure which should have been done to calculate a ‘monthly’ bill. (La Mesa bills for sewer bimonthly). The monthly sewer rate for La Mesa, as calculated in the Lemon Grove study, would have been $40.22, which would have been less than the average monthly rate for all 13 agencies of $41.97.”

A Union-Tribune article published Thursday said Lemon Grove “paid an outside firm to study rates around the region. It showed Coronado residents pay the lowest amount and La Mesa the highest.”

Later Thursday, the Union-Tribune website posted a story about La Mesa’s complaint about the error.

“The study, done by Bartle Wells Associates, showed La Mesa’s rate was $50.91. … Humora said the city’s monthly average sewer rate for single family residents is $37.44,” the U-T reported.

Late Friday morning, Humora said La Mesa thinks no apology is necessary from Bartle Wells.

“We did feel it was important to present the additional information to get our point of view across,” Humora said via email. “Comparing sewer rates is inherently difficult to do. We are satisfied with the resolution of the situation.”

Bartle Wells Associates—with an address on 1889 Alcatraz Avenue—describes itself as a “public finance consulting firm with over 40 years of experience providing independent, objective financial advice to public agencies throughout California and the western United States.”

Updated at 12:10 p.m. May 20, 2011.