East Palo Alto and Menlo Park residents fight to retain independent sewer system
More than 30 people attended a protest hearing hosted by the San Mateo Local Agency Formation Commission on Wednesday to voice their disapproval of a city of East Palo Alto decision to take over running the sewage district, saying the change will increase sewer rates and diminish the personal and prompt service they currently receive. In November 2023, LAFCo voted unanimously to move management of the East Palo Alto Sanitary District, an independent sewer service established in 1939 under the purview of the city as a district, subjecting it to new rules and regulations. The city says the proposal will have no effect on sewer services. Community members claim that if the city takes over, yearly sewer rates may double, rising from about $600 to over $1,300 per year.