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. . . I . . - difference. I am concerned about the rate increase that would be required. On the one hand it is not that much if you look at the difference between just going through normal rate increases without folding these funds together and doing the bonds. We have about a - $1.60 rate increase... over a four-year period for the basic monthly charge. And if we go the $15 million route it is $5.82 over four years... less than $70 a year to go full bore. But we do hear from seniors and others on fixed incomes that even modest increases have an effect on their ability to function in daily life. When you throw in the extremely high increases in rent that seniors and others have experienced, we have to be sensitive to that. The $15 million scenario for example has one year at 29% bump, and I know these are all preliminary and there are a lot of 'what ifs', but I think we have to be careful how we proceed. I think we need to proceed. I'd like us to approve in concept the melding of the funds with some further study as to what alternatives might make a difference, and I know we have to do the rate studies... I'd like to have more study with respect to the appropriate fixes before we commit. We need to focus on the major programs. I don't think that we should be doing the substandard streets as part of this. I think that is a different project.... I think it is important to have the coordinator on board as soon as reasonably possible because I think as soon as possible we have to start having coordination with other jurisdictions. That is going to help us in our planning process on how much we can do and how quickly we can do it. We should not just work with local jurisdictions, but whatever might be available on the state and federal levels we need to work on as well, because this will be an extremely major undertaking." Vice Mayor Ruskin said that "if we are willing to commit at least at a basic level to the bringing in of the storm drainage capital program into the sewage fund, that is the key - basic commitment, then I think we will be ready to bring on the coordinator, sooner rather than later." Mayor Howard said she supported the recommendations made by the Utility Committee keeping in mind Council Member Hartnett's comments. She said one of the recommendations was to direct staff to complete a rate study and that was very important. Mayor Howard agreed that bringing the coordinator on as soon as possible was important to let other jurisdictions know that Redwood City was serious about this issue and that we needed their help to make this happen. Council Member Ira said support of the recommendations didn't mean the City was going to begin all the projects immediately. He said it might take a while to achieve the goals of the recommendations, and there is the possibility that the rate impact might be too significant to be borne by the citizens. Council Member Ira said, "if we can make a commitment to work on it then we know that even if it doesn't start in two years, that it will start at some point in time." He said if it turned out to be a $60 million project there was no way the rate structure could support it, and the City "might have to bite this off a little bit at a time." Vice Mayor Ruskin agreed that thl;; City needed to be sensitive to seniors. He said it was - a complex issue that needed to be a balanced effort. He said, "seniors were having a very hard time now.... That is one of the reasons why we wanted to begin looking at variable Study Session MINUTE BOOK NO. 56 May 4,1998 Minutes Page No. 447 Page 16