A Few Citizens Provide Input For Water District Plan

I’m wondering what Brent Ives of BHI Management Consulting is thinking about the San Lorenzo Valley as he reviews the public input he received from two meetings held Tuesday on the development of the SLV Water District’s 5 year strategic plan.

At the first meeting, held in the afternoon at the Felton Community Hall, about a dozen local citizens attended and offered a variety of opinions relative to the District’s current mission statement and priorities for consideration in the coming years. Ideas were offered which revolved around education and outreach, conservation, energy use, aquafir recharge and investment strategies. Most of those who spoke agreed that water management was a critical issue that affects the entire community and needs to be addressed in a thoughtful and collaborative manner. There seemed to be a general consensus that the District was doing an effective job although communication with their constituents might be improved.

Later that evening at the Senior Center at Highlands Park in Ben Lomond half that many people showed up and the tone was considerably different. Claims were made that the District lacked “accountability”, spent too much on education and outreach, was making poor decisions in protecting the watershed and conserving water, were not transparent enough in their deliberations, had lax procurement procedures, owned too much equipment, made unwise investments, and in general is too responsive to “special interests”, like, as one particularly outspoken gentlemen said, the “eco-nazis” like the Valley Women's Club. He also believed the board should be more respectful of citizen input.

With regards to what the District should be focused on in the coming years one person wanted more dams on the river and a reservoir. More use of private contractors, term limits for the Board and spinning off Felton from the District were also raised as potential actions the District should consider.

One positive note sounded at the evening meeting was that the District had made the right decision in hiring an outside consultant to facilitate the planning process.

Mr. Ives; who is currently the Mayor of the City of Tracy, has been on the City Council there since 1991 and also serves as Chairman of the San Joaquin Council of Governments, is probably no stranger to differing public opinions, still I’m sure he must be scratching his head just a little at the very different “visions” offered at the two meetings.

He will conduct a day long workshop for the District Board and will meet with with District staff as part of the plan process. A draft document is expected by September for public review.


Here is a link to the Sentinel article by Kimberly White who was at the earlier meeting.

San Lorenzo Valley Water District Press Release:

SLV Water District Announces Plans to Seek Rate Hike

Average $14 hike to bill will be used to maintain and repair the valley's pipelines, water storage tanks and treatment facilities

March 3, 2011, Boulder Creek, Calif. - Citing increased operating costs and reduced revenues, the San Lorenzo Valley Water District Board of Directors voted unanimously tonight to seek a water rate hike that will add about $14 to the typical customer's bill for two months of water use.

District Manager Jim Mueller said operating costs have exceeded revenue by more than $600,000 over two years from the beginning of 2009 through the end of 2010, not including depreciation of district infrastructure. Increased operating costs were due mostly to maintenance and repairs to the system's pipelines, water storage tanks and treatment facilities. Over the same two year period, revenue to the district decreased $500,000, resulting from cooler temperatures requiring less watering, water conservation efforts and economic factors
forcing people to leave the area.

“Many of the costs for supplying water are fixed - they don't drop because people are using less water," said Board President Terry Vierra. “We still need to maintain the wells, pipelines and water treatment facilities, read the meters and care for the watershed."

The proposed rate hike will increase the average bi-monthly bill from $90 to $104, Vierra said. Even with the increase, water rates for SLV residents are still some of the lowest in Santa Cruz County.

The board has scheduled a public hearing on the proposed hike for May 19, 2011 at 7:30 p.m. Customers will receive a notice in the mail the first week of April that includes information on the proposed rate hike and instructions on how to protest it.

A Frequently Asked Questions section will be posted to the District website for more information about the planned rate increase- http://www.slvwd.com. The San Lorenzo Valley Water District serves more than 7,300 connections in the valley, including Boulder Creek, Ben Lomond, Brookdale, Scotts Valley and Felton.

FLOW Remembered

The current issue of YES! Magazine features an article by Tara Lohan, an editor for AlterNet, on water issues that revisits the efforts of Felton's battle to reclaim their water rights:

But for many, the issue of water privatization isn’t just about money. Felton FLOW member Barbara Sprenger said she was motivated to act primarily “because it was water.” Private ownership, she said, meant extra costs without the necessary monitoring and transparency.

“The people on our water board manage our water as part of a watershed,” she said. “They care, and they are local—we see them at the grocery store. You really have to have local control over something so vital.”

Read the whole article online here: How Felton, Calif., Achieved Water Independence by Tara Lohan — YES! Magazine