Rate Audit Learning Lab

108 North Jefferson Street,Roanoke VA 24016

07 March, 2023

Description

Rates are the primary way that utilities generate revenue; do you wonder whether your utility’s rates will provide enough revenue to cover its future expenses? Would your customers potentially be at risk if there isn’t enough revenue for essential utility operations? What can you do to feel more confident about the future? The answer is a simple analysis known as a rate audit. A rate audit measures the sufficiency of your water rates. In this workshop, SERCAP will guide you through the steps you need to assess your rates and to make necessary adjustments. The hands-on session will allow you to work with real utility data and to spend more time practicing an actual audit than listening to lectures. SERCAP understands small communities like yours and has crafted content to suit your unique needs. This is the first time this workshop is being offered in Virginia and you don’t want to miss the opportunity to gain the skills you need to keep your utility financially sustainable for years to come. Meet your presenter: GLENN BARNES Glenn Barnes is the director of Water Finance Assistance. He has more than 15 years of experience working with water utilities to improve public health and sustainability through better utility finance and management. Specifically, Glenn has done extensive work on water and sewer rates, system financial health, capital planning, affordability, staffing, water system partnerships, emergency response planning, and water conservation. He uses data to help utilities understand the cost of providing their service, understand customer behavior, identify appropriate rate and fee structures that support their priorities, and price their services to ensure the continued provision of water service into the future. That way, utilities make informed decisions rooted in an objective, disinterested interpretation of data rather than through guesswork. From 2012 to 2019, Glenn co-directed an EPA-funded national training and technical assistance program for small water systems. Recognized as a subject matter expert on water finance, Glenn has advised many organizations including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, Jersey Water Works, the Sac State Office of Water Programs, the American Water Works Association, and the Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP). Glenn holds a BA in English Literature and a Master of Public Administration degree.