The People’s Business – October 5, 2026
Councilmembers will hold a public hearing to adjust water rates in compliance with the final judgment in Daniel Patz et al. v. City of San Diego. They’ll also vote on declaring a State of Emergency for the historic El Niño season.
From the Office of Council President Joe LaCava
City Council Meeting – October 6, 2026 – 10 a.m.
10 a.m. – Proclamations, Consent Agenda, Non-agenda Public Comment
2 p.m. – Informational Items, Discussion Items, Housing Authority Agenda
Proclamations and Ceremonial Items
The following proclamations will be considered by Councilmembers:
Item 30 – LGBTQ+ History Month
Item 31 - Think Dignity 20th Anniversary Day
Item 32 – Kiwani’s Club of La Jolla 100th Anniversary Day
Item 33 – Busalacchi Day
Item S500 – Kimberly Hunt and Billy Ray Smith Jr. Day
Consent Agenda
Nine items fill the Consent Agenda including declaring a State of Emergency for a historic El Niño season and adopting findings under SB707 to allow certain City Boards and Commissions to meet remotely.
Discussion and Information Items — to be heard at the 2 p.m. session
Item 330 – Public Hearing to Proposed Adjustments to Water Rates in Accordance with the Water Memorandum Modifying the 2025 Water Cost of Service Study (Stantec Memo)
This item is to hold a public hearing and vote on proposed adjustments to the City’s water rates that modify the rate structure from a tiered volumetric rate for Single-Family Residential customers to a unitary volumetric rate for all customer classes, together with the corresponding adjustments to the Base Charges and Private Fire Protection Charges. This is in order to bring the City into compliance with the final judgment in Daniel Patz et al. v. City of San Diego (Patz).
In July 2015, the City was named in a putative class action lawsuit (Daniel Patz et al v City of San Diego) alleging that the City’s tiered water rates for single-family residential water service customers violated Article XIIID of the California Constitution (Proposition 218). The Court ruled in favor of plaintiffs on September 14, 2021, determining that the tiered rate structure for single-family residential customers does not comply with Proposition 218.
The proposed rate structure is set forth in the Water Memorandum Modifying the 2025 Water Cost of Service Study prepared by Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. and is based on the same total revenue requirement established in the 2025 Water Cost of Service Study.
The proposed adjustments do not increase the overall revenue requirement previously approved by the City Council. Rather, they modify the rate structure to comply with the court’s decision in Patz while maintaining the same overall revenue requirement.
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