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1. Where can I find the ordinance?
2. Does this ordinance apply to current tenants or new tenants?
3. When does the landlord need to offer a one year lease to a tenant?
4. How do landlords prove they offered a one year lease to their tenants?
5. Is there a specific document for landlords and/or tenants to sign?
6. What if the tenant does not respond to the landlord’s 12-month lease offer?
7. What happens if a tenant does not want a one year lease?
8. May the landlord and tenant agree to terms shorter or longer than a one year lease?
9. A landlord offers a tenant a one year lease and the tenant declines it. Within the one year, the tenant changes their mind and asks for a one year lease. Does the landlord have to give them a one year
10. A landlord offers a tenant a one year lease but they both agree to and sign a six-month lease. At month three, the tenant wants a one year lease. Does a landlord need to offer a one year lease?
11. Is the landlord required to offer a one year lease to a tenant if they do not want to rent to them anymore?
12. Can a landlord change rates within the one-year lease?
13. What happens if a tenant was not offered a 12-month lease?

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1. Which properties qualify as a lot with a single-family residence?
2. Which properties qualify as a lot with an existing multi family building?
3. Do ADUs count toward floor area and building coverage limits?
4. Is an ADU an accessory building?
5. Can I convert an existing accesory building into an ADU?
6. Can I convert my attached garage/carport into an ADU?
7. Do I need to provide parking for my ADU?
8. Can I rent out my ADU?
9. Is there a daylight plane requirement for ADUs?
10. Will my property taxes increase with an ADU?
11. What fees are required for an ADU?

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1. Are new permit applications being accepted?
2. How do I submit a new application and/or simple permit?
3. How do I submit plan check resubmittals or revisions to issued permits?
4. How do I pick up my permit?
5. How can I schedule a building inspection?
6. Is it possible to schedule an over the counter review?
7. How can I request a certificate of final occupancy (CFO)?
8. How can I obtain a property record search?
9. Can I apply for a permit via fax?
10. How can I get my plans to the Menlo Park Fire Protection District for digital plan submittal?

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1. I’m adding on to my house which is in the flood zone. What rules do I have to follow?
2. What is a Substantial Improvement?
3. What is a Base Flood?
4. What is the Base Flood Elevation (BFE)?
5. If I want to build a new house or substantial improvement in the flood zone, can the crawl space floor be below the BFE?
6. What does wet-flood-proofed mean?
7. What are flood resistant materials?
8. If I want to build a new house or substantial improvement in the flood zone, can the crawl space floor be below the lowest adjacent grade of the soil surrounding the building?
9. For a new accessory building, can the floor be below BFE?
10. If I want to make a substantial improvement to my house in the flood zone, do I have to raise the house if the bottom of my floor joists are below BFE?
11. Is it possible for a property owner to avoid triggering the City’s Substantial Improvement Ordinance requirements by phasing their improvements?
12. Can the floor of a garage which is attached to the main house be constructed below the base flood elevation?
13. When determining whether a project is a FEMA substantial improvement do I add the value of improvement projects to my house and my detached garage?
14. When determining whether a project is a FEMA substantial improvement how do decide the house value if part was built pre-FIRM and part was built post-FIRM?
15. Where is the City’s Flood Management Protection Ordinance online?
16. Who do I call if these FAQs don’t answer my questions?

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1. How was the order of reopening facilities and services determined?
2. When will child care enrollment increase?
3. Will the libraries have the same open hours as before the pandemic?
4. Where will senior services be provided?
5. When will gymnastics classes start again?

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1. Does the City of Menlo Park have a regular tree maintenance schedule?
2. Can I remove the street tree in front of my house?
3. If there is a City tree that appears unhealthy or needs pruning, where do I call?
4. Does the City replace street trees that are removed?
5. If the City is replacing a City tree who is responsible for watering the tree?
6. The tree in front of my house was removed, but the stump is still there. When is the City going to remove it?
7. Could I request a tree to be planted in front of my house?

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1. Why does my demolition project have a seven day waiting period between the day that the demolition permit is issued and the date that demolition work can begin?
2. Where can I find information on where to recycle construction debris?
3. Do the locations suggested on the Green Halo System website or any City of Menlo Park documents provide a guarantee acceptable recycling facility will meet minimum diversion requirements?
4. A sub-contractor was used for the construction/demolition job. The contractor needs the original tags for tax purposes. How can I still receive recycling credit for the recycled material?
5. What are the weight tag requirements?
6. What is the deadline for submission of the deposit refund request form?

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1. What is the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)?
2. What is the purpose of CEQA?
3. What are the different levels of CEQA review?
4. How is the level of review determined?
5. Why is an EIR being prepared for projects in the Bayfront Area when the ConnectMenlo General Plan EIR considered the potential environmental impacts from the land use changes?
6. How can the community get involved in the CEQA process?
7. What do the decision-makers do with the environmental document?
8. What are the steps in the EIR process?

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1. Who pays for Discover & Go?
2. How does Discover & Go work?
3. What museums are available for reservation as part of Discover & Go?
4. Are you limited to a certain number of museum pass reservations for the year?
5. Can I cancel an active Discover & Go reservation?

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1. What qualifications are needed to run for a district council seat?
2. After a councilmember is elected to a district seat, may the councilmember move out of the district?
3. What are the Federal and California Voting Rights Acts?
4. What are by-district elections?
5. What are communities of interest?

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1. What are the potential changes to the downtown parking program?
2. Where will these downtown parking program changes take effect?
3. When will these downtown parking program changes take effect?
4. Why are these changes being recommended?
5. Will there be any adjustments to the current pay parking option in parking plazas 1 and 5?
6. Will there be any adjustments to the number of parking spaces?
7. Will there be any adjustments to the parking enforcement periods?
8. Will there be any adjustments to the temporary one-day or annual parking permits?
9. How would my parking experience be impacted by these changes?
10. Who should I contact for any concerns and/or questions?

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1. What is a specific plan?
2. Why do we need a specific plan?
3. How has the community been involved in the process?
4. How will development occur now that the Specific Plan has been approved?
5. How does the Plan support the Farmer's Market and other important community activities?

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1. What is the El Camino Real Corridor Study?
2. Why is the study being done?
3. What issues have already been identified?
4. How long will the process take?
5. How can I get involved?

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1. Who may register to vote?
2. Which district am I in?
3. How do I register to vote?
4. How can I find out if I am registered to vote?
5. What if I have more questions?

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1. What is an EV charging space (EV space)?
2. What is EVSE?
3. When are EV chargers required?
4. Where are EV Chargers allowed?
5. Are EV spaces counted as parking spaces?
6. Can I convert my accessible parking spaces into accessible EV spaces?
7. What permits are needed?
8. What information needs to be provided for building permit applications for new EV chargers?
9. What fees are associated with EV chargers?
10. Where are the requirements located?

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1. Can I afford an electric vehicle?
2. Can an electric vehicle meet my driving and/or hauling needs?
3. I live in an apartment complex that does not have any EV chargers. If I buy an electric vehicle, how can I charge it?
4. The new electric vehicles are nice, but the selection seems limited to compact cars. Are there different types (SUV, trucks, luxury, vans, sports cars, etc.) of electric vehicles to serve my needs?
5. Will an increase in EV ownership overwhelm the electric grid?
6. How do greenhouse gas emissions compare between manufacturing gasoline vehicles and all-electric ones?

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1. How do I use the library’s Zinio service?
2. Flash Player doesn't work on my iPad/iPhone. How do I view magazines?
3. How do I return a magazine?
4. How do I add additional magazines from the library's collection to my Zinio account?
5. How do I know when a new magazine issue is available?
6. I am receiving emails from Zinio with special promotions and offers. How do I stop receiving these emails?
7. What do I do when I get an error message saying 'could not connect to server'?
8. I already have a Zinio account. Can I use the same account to access the library's magazine collection?
9. Why are some magazines not in the library's magazine collection or in Zinio itself?
10. Can I purchase magazines that are not in the library's magazine collection?
11. If I choose to purchase a title the library does not offer, is it added to the library's magazine collection? Does the library make any money off of this?

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1. What does being a disaster service worker mean?
2. What are my main responsibilities relating to disasters and emergencies?
3. What can I do to make my neighborhood safer?
4. If I need to stay at work during an emergency, how will I know my family is safe?
5. What are my main responsibilities relating to disasters and emergencies?
6. How do I update my emergency contact information?

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1. What is the status of Terms 7.1.6 and 7.1.7 (Chilco Street Frontage Improvements)?
2. What is the status of Term 8.1.1 (Housing Inventory and Local Supply Study)?
3. What is the status of Term 8.1.2 (Housing Innovation Fund)?
4. What is the status of Term 9.1.5 (Public Open Space; Multi-Use Bridge Facility; and Public Access)?

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1. FEMA is asking my insurance agent for documentation regarding my flood zone. Why and how do I respond?
2. Why do I have to pay flood insurance if my property has never been flooded?
3. How can I reduce the cost of my flood insurance?
4. How can I get my property out of the flood zone?
5. What is a Base Flood?
6. What is the Base Flood Elevation (BFE)?
7. Does my home qualify for a grandfather flood insurance policy?
8. What is a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA)?
9. Will FEMA grant a LOMA for a detached garage if the garage floor is below the BFE but the building is wet-flood proofed?
10. Where can I obtain a copy of the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM)?
11. Who do I call if I have more questions about flood insurance?

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1. How can I find out my waste collection, recycling, and/or organics service day?
2. Who can I call for waste collection service changes or questions about my bill?
3. How can I recycle hazardous wastes such as oil, antifreeze, pesticides, computer monitors, sharps, fluorescent tubes, and bulbs?
4. How do I recycle organics properly? I am not used to placing food scraps out for recycling.
5. Are plastic bags acceptable in organics containers?
6. I am doing construction / remodeling on my property. Do I need to obtain a debris box from Recology?
7. What is the proper way to dispose of prescription medication?

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1. How do I measure a tree that has multiple trunks?
2. How much of a heritage tree can I prune without a permit?
3. Where could I get an application to remove or heavily prune a heritage tree?
4. What do I need to submit to the City for a permit application to remove or heavily prune a Heritage tree?
5. Is there a fee for the permit?
6. Do I need a permit to remove a dead heritage tree?
7. What is required for heritage trees related to development applications?
8. Could the city arborist come out and take a look at my tree before I apply for a permit?
9. Can the City recommend a certified arborist?
10. On what basis does the city arborist approve a permit?
11. How do I find the status of my permit application?
12. Can I appeal the decision?
13. Do I have to plant a replacement tree?
14. What if I don’t have any space on my property to replant a tree that has been approved for removal?
15. Is there a public platform to track permit applications, pending appeals, and proposed tree replacements?
16. What are tree appraisals and why are they required?
17. Will notices be required for decisions made under Criterion 1, 2, 3, or 4?

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1. What is a Housing Element?
2. What are the components of a Housing Element?
3. What happens if a jurisdiction does not adopt a Housing Element?
4. Who determines how many housing units are needed and how is the number calculated?
5. Why is the Housing Element Update important?
6. Why update the Safety Element?
7. What is Menlo Park's fair share?
8. What is Environmental Justice?

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1. I do not have a street tree or public sidewalk in front of my property. Do I still have to pay an assessment?
2. How can I find out what I am presently paying for street tree maintenance and sidewalk repair?
3. How can I have my sidewalk repaired?
4. Can I have a street tree planted if I do not have one?
5. What if I believe my assessment is incorrect?
6. How often can I expect my street tree to be pruned?
7. How many street trees are there in the City?
8. Can new services be added to the Assessment District?
9. How are assessments determined?
10. What is a Landscaping Assessment District?

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1. How do I connect?
2. What if I still can't connect?
3. Where can I use the Menlo Park Library wireless network?
4. Why won't my apps work when I'm on the network?
5. Why do I need to accept the policy?
6. Do I need to accept the policy every time I start a new connection?
7. What do you mean the wireless connection is not secure?
8. Do you filter websites or web content?
9. Why can't I send email using my mail client (Windows Live Mail / Outlook Express / Thunderbird / etc.)?
10. If there are too many users, will I be blocked from using the wireless network?
11. What does "laptop-friendly table" mean?
12. How fast is the Internet connection?

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1. What is LINK+?
2. How do I use LINK+?
3. What does it cost to request a book?
4. How many LINK+ items can I borrow?
5. How long does it take for a LINK+ request to arrive?
6. How can I check the status of my LINK+ request?
7. How do I know when my LINK+ requests arrive at the library?
8. How long is a LINK+ item held for me to pick up?
9. How long can I borrow LINK+ items?
10. Where do I pick up, check out, and return my LINK+ items?
11. How do I renew a LINK+ item?
12. What are the fees for overdue, lost, or damaged items?
13. How do I cancel a LINK+ request?

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1. How can I pay my water bill?
2. Who is providing water billing for Menlo Park Municipal Water?
3. How do I stop or start my service?
4. How often am I billed?
5. How do I pay my water bill?
6. What happens if I am late paying my bill?
7. Can I set up a payment plan?
8. Is there a paperless billing option?
9. How can I access my account online?
10. How can I lower my bill?
11. Does Menlo Park provide any discounts or assistance for low-income customers?

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1. Who is responsible for mosquito spraying / fogging in Menlo Park?
2. What will trigger mosquito spraying / fogging?
3. What pesticides are used by the District for controlling adult mosquitoes?
4. What risks are there to the residents of San Mateo County, including Menlo Park, from the pesticides?
5. Where will the spraying / fogging take place?
6. What risks are there to the environment from the pesticides that are used for mosquito abatement?
7. Are the insecticides exclusive to mosquitoes that carry West Nile Virus?
8. Should I or other residents take steps to reduce exposure to the pesticides used during mosquito control spraying / fogging?
9. Should those who are pregnant be concerned or take extra precautions during the mosquito spraying / fogging?
10. Will the spraying / fogging for adult mosquitoes affect pets?
11. Will the spraying / fogging for adult mosquitoes affect local honey bees?
12. Will the spraying / fogging for adult mosquitoes affect my lawn furniture, play equipment, toys, and garden plants?
13. Will the spraying / fogging for adult mosquitoes affect fruits and vegetables?
14. Where can I get additional information regarding specific insecticides used by the District?
15. How can I receive information about spraying / fogging for adult mosquitoes?

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1. Will the Police Chief visit my block party?
2. Is there a cost to plan a block party for National Night Out?
3. Do I need insurance for my party?
4. What type of activities should I have at my block party?
5. Are there any promotional resources available

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1. Is a permit required for newsracks on private property?
2. Do I submit one application for each newsrack?

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1. What do I do if online reporting is not right for me?
2. What if this happened on a state freeway?
3. What is a "known suspect"?
4. If this happened in another city, can I file a report using this online police citizen reporting system?

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1. I’m interested in renting a picnic area. Where can I find more information?
2. How do I know what areas are available and when? Also, how do I know how much space I’ll need?
3. Once I know the area I want is available, how do I reserve?
4. When do I need to pay?
5. How much do I need to pay?
6. How do I know if I need a Certificate of Liability Insurance?
7. Can I add a field to my rental?
8. Can I bring a bounce house to my rented picnic area?
9. What about catered food, cooking apparatuses, food trucks or alcohol?
10. Are there outlets and water sources in the park that I can use for my event?
11. What's the policy on dogs?
12. Is music allowed at the picnic area?
13. I only see picnic areas at Burgess Park and Nealon Park. What if I want to have a picnic at a different city park?

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1. Will sidewalk improvements and trees be installed on my private property?

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1. How can I file a police report online?
2. How can I get a parking permit?
3. How can I pay a parking ticket?
4. How can I pick up a copy of a police report?
5. How can I get my correctable citation signed off?
6. Does Menlo Park Police install child safety seats?
7. Is there an alternate phone number I can program in my phone or cellphone for emergencies?
8. Where can I get my fingerprints taken?
9. How can I file a complaint for police officer or employee misconduct or report a compliment?

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1. How will PG&E determine the need to turn off power for safety?
2. Which customers are most likely to have their power turned off?
3. How often will these public safety power shutoffs occur?
4. Why would power be shut off in a community not experiencing strong winds?
5. I am a medical baseline customer and/or I have special medical needs. Will my power be shut off?
6. How and when will I be notified if a shutoff becomes necessary?
7. Do I have to opt in to these alerts?
8. Can I opt out of these alerts?
9. During what hours of the day will these alerts be sent?
10. Why are there so many alerts being sent?
11. How long will my power be out if PG&E calls a public safety power shutoff?
12. When will my power be restored?
13. Will I be compensated for food spoilage or other losses?
14. What do I need in my emergency preparedness plan?
15. Do I need to sign up to get public safety power shutoff alerts?

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1. Who is responsible for maintaining sidewalks and other frontage improvements?

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1. Where can I find the cost effectiveness study?
2. Does the City have a list of consulting firms who can provide cost effectiveness reports?
3. Is the cost effectiveness study based on investor-owned utility rates or Peninsula Clean Energy rates?
4. Why are there solar panel requirements for non-residential and high rise residential?
5. Does an all electric building cost more to build?
6. What are the baseline solar panel sizing requirements for low-rise residential buildings as per 2019 Title 24 code?
7. Can a heat pump water heater match the performance of a gas system?
8. Can the central heat pump water heater distribute adequate water supply temperature to multiple units simultaneously?
9. How reliable is the electric grid as compared to natural gas?
10. How does the induction cooking compare to gas cooking?
11. Are natural gas systems more efficient than all-electric?
12. Can reach codes promote better air quality in addition to energy efficiency?
13. Does all-electric heating use a lot of energy and can it work in our cool climate?
14. Central water heating: Aren’t central heat pump water heaters are infeasible/unavailable?
15. How do the costs for electric space heating and water heating compare to that of natural gas-based options?
16. Doesn’t having gas appliances offer more resilience?
17. How reliable is the electric grid as compared to natural gas?

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1. What if the rent amount increased over nine percent (9%) prior to November 12, 2019?
2. If a tenant moves out and the unit becomes vacant, can the rent be raised more than nine percent (9%)?
3. What is the difference between at-fault and no-fault just cause eviction?
4. What type of renter violations are included in an at-fault just cause eviction?
5. What type of renter violations are included in a no-fault just cause eviction?
6. When is the landlord/owner required to pay relocation assistance to the tenant?
7. What if a landlord/owner fails to pay relocation assistance?
8. How long does a landlord/owner have to issue relocation payment or rent waiver?
9. May the landlord/owner pay part of relocation assistance and part in rent waiver?
10. Are there organizations who can help me with legal concerns and questions?

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1. What is Spare the Air?
2. When is a Spare the Air Alert issued?
3. What is the Air Quality Index?
4. What are the health effects of air pollution?
5. Who is most vulnerable to poor air quality?
6. How can air pollution impact you?
7. What are some ways to improve air quality?
8. How can I receive Spare the Air Alerts?

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1. When was the ordinance adopted?
2. What can a retailer do with its existing inventory of products no longer allowed?
3. Who should tobacco retailers contact with questions?

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1. What are transportation impact fees?
2. How much do transportation impact fees cost?
3. Is there any way to pay less transportation impact fee?
4. When are transportation impact fees paid?
5. Do transportation impact fees change?
6. What are transportation impact fees used for?
7. When a developer pays the fee, will they be required to provide any additional transportation improvements to mitigate project impacts?

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1. What are the goals of the Transportation Master Plan?
2. What is the purpose of the Transportation Master Plan, and why is it needed?
3. What is the Oversight and Outreach Committee?
4. How much would it cost to construct the citywide improvement recommendations project list and how will the city get funding for them?
5. What is the transportation impact fee and why is it needed?
6. Will the community have a chance to provide feedback on the citywide improvement project list and/or suggest new projects to be included on the list?
7. What are the prioritization criteria used for project ranking, and will the community have a chance to provide feedback on how projects will be prioritized?
8. The project list has many transportation related acronyms, terminology and technical terms. How can the city make this easier to understand?

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1. Is the utility user tax new?
2. What is the purpose of the tax?
3. Will the tax ever be increased?

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1. Who must pay the utility user tax?
2. Who is exempt from the utility user tax?
3. How much is the tax?
4. Is there a maximum tax that can be paid?
5. How is the maximum tax, or "cap" applied?
6. When was the UUT implemented?
7. Where can I get more information?

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1. What are the duties of utility/service providers with customers in Menlo Park?
2. When must the utility user tax be remitted?
3. What if the utility supplier fails or refuses to collect the tax from the utility user?
4. How long do records need to be kept?
5. Where can I get more information?

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1. Why are rates changing?
2. Why are water fees adjusting from 2-tiers to 3-tiers?
3. What is a water unit?
4. How are water bills calculated?
5. How much will my water bill increase?
6. How can I lower my bill?
7. Why are water rates changing?
8. When will new rates go into effect?
9. Is there a water rate report available?
10. What is a ccf or water unit?
11. Why are consumption rate tiers shifting from 2-tiers to 3-tiers?
12. What are the various rate components shown on my water bill?
13. Will my water bill increase or decrease with the newly adopted rates?
14. If five-years rates were adopted, how do rates change in years 2 through 5?
15. Do different types of customers have different types of rates?
16. What is the drought surcharge and when will I be charged for it?
17. How can I lower my bill?

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1. Who do these requirements apply to?
2. Why do I have to complete these zero waste requirements?
3. What are the requirements?
4. What are the city’s zero waste benchmarks?
5. What are zero waste assessments? Why do I have to do them?
6. Where can I find a list of city-approved assessors for my zero waste baseline assessment?
7. What happens if I do not meet my zero waste benchmarks?