By Senior planner resigns

Jim MacKenzie left his 8-year position as senior planner for the city of Los Altos last Friday to move closer to family and friends in San Diego. The city is currently concluding its search to fill his vacancy.

MacKenzie joined Los Altos city staff as senior planner in 1994 after working for the cities of Susanville and Seaside.

During his time in Los Altos, MacKenzie worked on such projects as the Tree Farm and Rosita Park developments and the current cable renewal negotiations with AT&T.

MacKenzie is married and has a 7-year-old son.

Los Altos

Sewer rates increase

Los Altos

Los Altos residents will pay $1 more each month for sewer services to cover rising labor and construction costs and anticipated system improvements, the Los Altos City Council decided last week.

This is the first sewer rate increase in Los Altos in eight years. Single-family customers are scheduled to pay $13 a month under the new rate, or about 8.3 percent more than under the former rate. The increase is expected to add $206,000 to the approximately $2.4 million collected annually under the old rate. State law mandates that money in the Sewer Fund Reserve be used for sewer-related costs only.

The city is in the process of developing a $300,000 master sewer plan for the approximately 100-mile sewer system that runs through Los Altos. The system has not been upgraded since it was installed about 50 years ago.

The average statewide rate for sewer services is $19.82 and the Santa Clara County average is $21.60, according to city staff records.

- Town Crier Staff Report