[Water_news] 5. DWR'S CALIFORNIA WATER NEWS: AGENCIES, PROGRAMS, PEOPLE - 10/10/07

Department of Water Resources

California Water News

A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment

 

October 10, 2007

 

5. Agencies, Programs, People

 

LEGAL ISSUES:

American Canyon water fight comes to LAFCO - Napa Valley Register

 

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GRANTS FOR WATER-RELATED PROJECTS:

Water agencies to get $25 million in grants - Ventura County Star

 

 

LEGAL ISSUES:

American Canyon water fight comes to LAFCO

Napa Valley Register – 10/10/07

By Kerana Todorov, staff writer

 

A critical hearing is scheduled for next week in the water fight between American Canyon and Napa County.

On Monday the Napa Local Agency Formation Commission -- a panel that reviews jurisdictional changes in the county -- is scheduled to revisit the boundaries of American Canyon's water and sewer service obligation.

 

American Canyon's current water service area, like the former American Canyon County Water District's, stretches outside the city's borders all the way past Napa County Airport.

LAFCO would have the city's water service area stretch north to Soscol Ridge, however, the city would not provide water or sewer services to properties that are designated "non-urban."

City officials argue they have not had the chance to study the county's proposed changes.

Napa City Councilwoman and LAFCO member Juliana Inman seemed to agree at an Oct. 1 LAFCO meeting.

"Some people seem to have been blindsided by this," Inman said.

American Canyon officials opposed a county proposal to incorporate language into a LAFCO resolution specifying that American Canyon is the "successor agency to the American Canyon County Water District."

Napa County officials have said repeatedly that American Canyon inherited the district's obligations when it incorporated in 1992.

The city has repeatedly bristled at the idea that it must provide water service north of the Napa County Airport -- once the responsibility of the now-defunct American Canyon County Water District.

American Canyon Vice Mayor Joan Bennett also spoke against the county's proposed resolution, saying she needed a clearer definition of what the county calls "infill" development.

Supervisor Mark Luce, the county representative at LAFCO, defended the county's proposal.

"In a practical sense, I don't see why this should be objectionable to you," he told city officials, including Bennett, City Attorney Bill Ross, City Manager Rich Ramirez, Mayor Leon Garcia and city councilmembers Ed West and Cindy Coffey. #

http://www.napavalleyregister.com/articles/2007/10/10/news/local/iq_4157526.txt

 

 

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GRANTS FOR WATER-RELATED PROJECTS:

Water agencies to get $25 million in grants

Ventura County Star – 10/10/07

 

Water agencies across Ventura County will get $25 million to preserve and protect the region's rivers and groundwater after the county Board of Supervisors accepted a set of state grants on Tuesday.

 

Eleven projects in the county will be funded with the grants. The funding package includes $5.5 million for the city of Camarillo's planned groundwater treatment facility, $3.35 million for a water pipeline in Port Hueneme, and $3.05 million each for Fillmore's proposed wastewater treatment plant and new sewer systems in El Rio and the College Park neighborhood of Oxnard.

 

The money comes from Proposition 50, a ballot measure in 2002 that authorized $3.44 billion in bonds statewide for watershed projects.

 

Ventura County began putting together an application for its grants before the measure even passed, and it is now the first county to accept funding, county Legislative Analyst Sue Hughes told the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.

 

The county expects more money from bonds that voters approved last year.

 

"With the droughts we're having, water will become the issue in Ventura County in the next few years, and this will just be the beginning of what we'll have to do here," Supervisor Steve Bennett said.

 

Following are the names and amounts of the watershed projects included in Ventura County's $25 million in grants from the state:

 

• Calleguas Regional Salinity Management Project, Hueneme outfall rehabilitation: $3.35 million.

• Camarillo groundwater treatment facility: $5.5 million.

• Ventura County Waterworks District recycled water system: $1 million.

• Calleguas Creek watershed arundo removal: $1.12 million.

• Simi Valley Tapo Canyon water treatment plant: $1.5 million.

• El Rio sewer project: $3.05 million.

• College Park sewer project: $3.05 million.

• Fillmore water recycling and wetlands: $3.05 million.

• Ventura River watershed protection: $1.55 million.

• San Antonio Creek rehabilitation: $1.32 million.

• Casitas Municipal Water District upgrades: $488,000.

 

For details on each project, see the Board of Supervisors agenda at www.ventura.org. #

http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2007/oct/10/water-agencies-to-get-25-million-in-grants/

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