Just days before a contentious vote on a new San Antonio Water System rate structure to fund the Vista Ridge pipeline project, the president of SAWS is firing back at protesters who claim the infrastructure project is a bad deal for the city.
Objections to the $3.4 billion water plan start with the cost and concerns that it will hike fees for the poorest residents. SAWS Robert Puente says that's not true.
"If our city council votes on this rate increase, 26-percent of our users will see their rates go down," he explains.
Rate hikes start out at 16% and go up to 50% by 2020, but thanks to a new rate structure, it will be those who use the most who pay the most. There are more categories that homeowners will fall into, and those in the lower brackets will see their bills go down. SAWS also says it will easier for homeowners to jump from a higher bracket to a lower one if they don’t like their bill.
Puente says they have also been block-walking in disadvantaged neighborhoods, helping homeowners sign up for affordability programs. The city-owned utility has doubled the amount of money that is in the program.
Environmental groups also oppose the Vista Ridge plan because they believe it encourages urban sprawl by making it easier for developers to expand in areas that, so far, have been father away from infrastructure.
Puente says they already have a defined service area.
"Our service area is not growing because of this project. It will not affect urban sprawl," he tells Newsradio 1200 WOAI.
The last time the city had the right to vote on a water plan was the two Applewhite Reservoir votes back in the mid-1990s, and they were both rejected.
Read more: http://www.woai.com/articles/woai-local-news-sponsored-by-five-119078/controversial-vista-ridge-project-up-for-14126015/#ixzz3rgOO7uFa
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