City Commissioner Amanda Fritz Explains Controversial Water Meter Proposal

Fritz rejects the premise that requiring individual meters is an indirect way to undermine the residential infill project.

(Emily Joan Greene)

City Commissioner Amanda Fritz, who oversees the Water Bureau, took to her keyboard over the weekend to explain her reasons for a controversial proposal to require individual water meters on new multifamily housing units.

After the passage of the residential infill project in August, Fritz asked the Water Bureau to consider requiring individual water meters—which cost about $8,000 per unit—for newly developed housing. The RIP is designed to promote development of infill and "middle" housing, allowing construction of accessory dwelling units and up to six units of new housing on properties previously zoned for single-family homes.

Groups that advocated for RIP oppose requiring individual meters, saying it will add unnecessary costs and discourage new development.

Some suggested in a story in WW that the meters were an attempt by Fritz to undermine RIP, which she denies.

Related: The Fight for Low-Income Housing Has a New Complication: City Commissioner Amanda Fritz's Push for Expensive Water Meters

"I am disappointed not with the debate but by the personal attacks voiced by those with concerns, and the focus of the article on their allegations," Fritz wrote on her blog. "They assert that I am proposing the change with the specific intent of increasing the cost of new housing, because I voted against the residential infill project and now want to make its outcomes as bad as possible."

As she told WW for the story, Fritz says she voiced her objections, cast her vote and accepted the will of the majority, which passed RIP by a 3-1 vote.

"Let me be clear: I want the residential infill project to succeed," Fritz continued in her post. "I worked hard to win amendments to improve it. I have supported multiple strategies to help affordable housing construction in our communities over my 12 years on the council.

"My opposition to RIP was based on the climate crisis and displacement of low-income and community-of-color families from naturally occurring affordable housing in some Southeast and outer Southeast neighborhoods—and because the project strayed from its initial focus on supporting alternative housing types and adding density where it makes sense. In fact, the individual meters proposal seeks to support better outcomes for people living in the housing types that will be allowed by RIP."

Fritz says her goal in pushing for the meters is to make sure that low-income renters can qualify for the Water Bureau's discount program—a program only available to tenants who have a water bill. No meter, no bill.

"Individual meters are more expensive initially, but then over time allow low-income residents to qualify for significant reductions in utility bills for the life of the home," Fritz wrote in her post. "One option under consideration is subsidizing the installation costs when long-term affordability is assured in return, thus reducing developers' expenses. There may be other ways to achieve the goal of long-term affordability, and I hope the process helps identify them."

The City Council is scheduled to hold a work session on the issue Oct. 27.

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