DEL MAR — With water and sewer rates due to expire in 10 months, City Council established a five-member ad hoc Utility Rate Advisory Committee at its Aug. 18 meeting.

Along with two council liaisons, committee members will evaluate the rates customers are charged for water and wastewater services. They will also review and make recommendations regarding funding, reserve levels, billing formats and an annual report to ratepayers.

An identical ad hoc utility committee was formed in 2003 to establish the five-year rate schedule that began in 2004. Current rates expire June 30, 2009.

“The city has traditionally sought input from citizens on how the water and sewer rates are established,” Mark Delin, assistant city manager, said.

The committee, made up of residents and business owners, will include representation from multi- and single-family customers, the business community and the Finance Committee.

City Council reappointed James Eckmann, Phyllis Mirsky and Dick Murray, three of the five members who served on the previous committee. Murray will again represent multifamily users, while Eckmann and Mirsky will represent single-family customers.

A business owner and a member of the Finance Committee are being sought to fill the remaining two vacancies. Applications are available at City Hall, 1050 Camino del Mar.

The two council members on the Finance Committee —in this case, Henry Abarbanel and Richard Earnest — typically serve on the advisory committee. Although Abarbanel is retiring from council in December, he and Earnest were reappointed to serve until then. A new council liaison will be appointed after the November election.

Delin said most of the committee work will be completed in two phases, with heavy activity in September and October, and not much after that until February. With three members already appointed, the committee has a quorum and can begin work if the remaining positions are not filled immediately.

The committee will become inactive once its review and recommendations are complete and the new rates take effect July 1, 2009.