Wastewater Rate Changes for All Customers (26-1129)

Context: The first reading on July 21, 2026 records a specific 8-1 tally with Guajardo against, while the July 28, 2026 second-reading entry states the ordinance passed but does not show the member-by-member vote.

Recommended: Request the certified adopted ordinance text plus the recorded second-reading vote from the July 28 meeting, and compare the adopted rate schedule against the rates presented at first reading on July 21. If the two differ, you need to know now whether the change was made between readings, and the minutes as written do not answer that.

Context: Staff presented separate residential and commercial proposed rates on July 21, 2026, and the ordinance applies to all customer classes effective January 1, 2027.

Recommended: Get the adopted commercial wastewater rate schedule and rerun operating cost assumptions for any project delivering or stabilizing after January 1, 2027, including escalator language in ground leases and net leases that passes utility costs through. Underwriting built on current rates will understate expenses from that date forward.

Context: Cantu seconded the motion at the July 21 first reading and then pulled the item to vote no at the July 28 second reading, and the 8-1 first-reading tally lists Guajardo as the sole no.

Recommended: Ask Council Member Cantu why he seconded the rate ordinance on July 21 and then pulled the same item to vote no on July 28, and ask Mayor Guajardo to explain his no vote on first reading. Also request Nick Winkelmann's presentation slides covering the sample utility bill impact and the FY 2020 to FY 2027 rate comparison, which were shown but not summarized in the minutes.

Context: The ordinance sets wastewater rates for all customer classes effective January 1, 2027, and the minutes for both July 21 and July 28, 2026 record no public comment.

Recommended: The new wastewater rates apply to all customer classes starting January 1, 2027, so pull the sample utility bill impact figures from the July 21 staff presentation and compare them to your current bill before the first affected statement arrives. No resident spoke at either the first or second reading, so this passed without any public input on the record.