Department of Water Resources
A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
March 17, 2008
5. Agencies, Programs, People
SAN
A river blocked by brush, bureaucracy - San Diego Union Tribune
FLOOD PLAIN DEVELOPMENT ISSUES:
Flood plain report waylays developers; Building delays and soft market leave some plans high and dry -
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WATER AGENCIES:
Area water districts resist teaming up - Whittier Daily News
WATER POLICY:
Editorial: Bond proposal fresh start on fix - Inland valley Daily Bulletin
NEW GM:
IID names Brady as general manager - Imperial Valley Press
SAN
A river blocked by brush, bureaucracy
By Lola Sherman, staff writer
All that remained was for bureaucrats to agree on a management plan to keep the channel clear so floodwaters couldn't rise over the new levees.
With the plan in place, thousands of
Eight years later, those owners are still waiting – and still paying hundreds or thousands of dollars a year for insurance they were told they wouldn't need once the channel project was complete.
They're going to be paying a while longer, too.
After years of delay, a management plan for the channel was approved last month, and on Feb. 23 the Army Corps of Engineers began clearing vegetation that had grown up in the river over the past eight years.
They had to stop work yesterday before finishing the job, in order to avoid disturbing endangered birds that live in the brush during nesting season. The work can resume Sept. 15.
Greg Fuderer, a spokesman for the Army Corps of Engineers, said last week that he doesn't know when the clearing will be finished and when property owners can drop their flood insurance.
“I'm so angry about this whole situation,” said Michael Healy, president of a homeowners association in the
The association reimburses its 64 members for their mandatory flood insurance and the tab has reached $18,000 to $20,000 a year.
“It has been driving us almost to bankruptcy,” Healy said.
If he could, Healy said, he would sue all of the bureaucracies for dragging their feet.
It has been a long story of one delay after another.
Finger-pointing has swung from federal agency to state agency and back again with no particular sense of urgency to agree on a management plan for the channel.
Coverage for properties in flood-prone areas is required by the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968.
Mortgage lenders generally require homeowners to buy the insurance if they are within a 100-year floodplain.
In 2005, Col. Alex Dornstauder, then district engineer for the corps in
The flood-control channel had been built to protect property within the river's 100-year floodplain. With the new river channel, property would not be flooded except with the sort of deluge expected once every century.
The flood-control channel runs from
It meanders past a defunct drive-in theater where a 90-acre shopping center has been proposed and past
Some homes are newer, with two stories and three-car garages. Some are smaller and older, in working-class neighborhoods.
Many residents have told city officials they are tired of paying for the additional insurance and a few have attended Oceanside City Council meetings to vent their frustration.
But resident complaints weren't as much a catalyst to speed up the bureaucratic process as were the wildfires that blazed just upriver in Fallbrook last October.
City officials feared the overgrown brush in the river channel would provide fuel for the
Months before the fires, city officials were worried enough about potential flooding that they sought help from their congressional delegations in a trip to
One of the bureaucracies, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, soon issued the necessary permits to allow clearing in the river channel.
The California Department of Fish and Game was not so accommodating.
State Fish and Game officials said the underbrush had become home to several endangered species, and clearing the river would disturb their habitat.
The impasse ended last month when the state and federal wildlife agencies and the California Coastal Commission all approved the maintenance plan and issued permits for the clearing to start.
Once the work resumes in September and a swath of river channel is cleared so waters can flow freely enough to prevent flooding more than once every 100 years, another bureaucratic process starts that is expected to take six months.
The city must submit an application to the Federal Emergency Management Agency stating that homes and businesses adjacent to the river are protected from a 100-year flood and asking that the federal agency revise its floodplain maps.
The Army Corps of Engineers assists in the application, said Ruth Villalobos, chief of the corps' planning division in
Mortgage lenders use FEMA floodplain maps – which are on file in the city engineer's department – to determine if a property is within a 100-year floodplain.
In some instances, FEMA maps already have been corrected as a result of previous flood-control work but many homeowners don't know it.
Resident John Rice said he convinced FEMA that his home on
Rice said he still carries flood insurance because he thinks it's prudent, but he no longer pays $2,370 a year for it. Since his home was reclassified, Rice said, he pays $374 annually for $250,000 in coverage.
Some of his neighbors have done likewise, Rice said, but they had to pay about $700 for a surveyor to prove their case.
“It's a long process,” Rice said.
Jerry Davies, director of media relations for Farmers Insur ance, said getting property reclassified can take time. Davies said people should not wait until the due date on their insurance and then expect the flood-protection requirement to go away.
“The best thing to do is to make sure you absolutely know the date and the time” that FEMA's withdrawal of the requirement takes place,” Davies said.
Many people may want to wait out the year's coverage on their policy, Davies said, but if they want to cancel, they will get a pro-rated refund.
City Councilman Jerome Kern, who lives in the same subdivision as Rice, pays $686 annually for flood insurance. At one time, on a different street, Kern said he paid $1,000 a year.
The Farmers Insurance Web site says it charges $200 for every $100,000 of home value, insuring up to $250,000 for the building and $100,000 for the contents.
FEMA's Web site lists more than two dozen companies that issue flood insurance in
A second phase will follow the current flood-control work by the corps. Once the work resumes in September, the channel will be cleared to a width of 100 feet – affecting the bulk of the property owners in the floodplain.
In that second phase, Villalobos said, the corps will cut a wider swath to 170 feet, and then turn the job of maintaining the river over to the city.
The city will have to find the money to do that maintenance.
Thousands of property owners, though, will have more money in their pockets from not having to buy flood insurance. #
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/northcounty/20080316-9999-1mc16river.html
FLOOD PLAIN DEVELOPMENT ISSUES:
Flood plain report waylays developers; Building delays and soft market leave some plans high and dry
By Anna Bakalis, staff writer
Although flood plain issues have halted his Moorpark project since 2000, Nelson Chung refuses to scrap plans for a 247-unit housing project.
Every year that goes by, Chung says, he pays about $1 million in interest fees to keep the 35-acre property on
It is the uncertain boundary of the Arroyo Simi flood plain that has kept his project from moving forward.
Now, after eight years and three appeals by the city of
With the green light, he's still anxious to press forward even though the housing market has tanked.
"I don't give up. I'm not a quitter," said Chung, president of the Newport Beach-based company, Pacific Communities. "For each project that is completed, as a builder, you have a sense of accomplishment."
Chung has survived a construction market that has seen other homebuilders fold under less pressure.
In 1999, Chung's Pacific Communities got approval from the Moorpark City Council to build a 247-unit, detached, single-family project as well as 37 affordable housing units. That development agreement remains in effect until Jan. 15, 2019.
Chung completed the grading for the site, but in 2000 the city asked him to halt the project while FEMA redrew flood-plain boundaries, he said.
When the first draft of the new flood maps was released in September 2005, Chung's development was among the 1,000 acres included in the flood zone.
In fact, the FEMA draft Digital Flood Insurance Rate Map (D-FIRM) more than doubled the size of the flood plain in Moorpark and
Broader flood boundaries meant more property owners would have to buy flood insurance, jeopardizing Chung's and other developers' multimillion-dollar projects.
But Moorpark's successful appeal to FEMA, which had Chung's financial backing, deleted 220 of the 1,000 acres from the flood zone, giving Chung and others the go-ahead.
Several blocks away, Shea Homes'
Phase II of the single-family home development was stopped after FEMA released the draft flood plain maps in 2005. Only 20 homes and four model homes have been completed.
Shea Homes' office has a sign that reads: "The sales office and models will be closed until further notice."
There are 102 homes planned to be built in the second phase, said Dave Bobardt, Moorpark's planning director. "Shea Homes has indicated they want to proceed."
Although these two residential developments can resume construction, the OK comes at a time when homes aren't selling and the market is uncertain.
Another affordable housing project in the city, a 200-unit apartment complex that was expected to be built on 10.5 acres south of Casey Road and west of Walnut Canyon Road, was scrapped in December.
Earlier this year, William Lyon Homes transferred ownership of 200 vacant lots off
The Arroyo Simi stretches from
Chung invested too much to let his project go. Although he said this is the most complicated project in his 20-plus years as a homebuilder, he is holding on. "After so many years, I can't give up," he said.
Although flood plain issues have halted his Moorpark project since 2000, Nelson Chung refuses to scrap plans for a 247-unit housing project.
Every year that goes by, Chung says, he pays about $1 million in interest fees to keep the 35-acre property on
It is the uncertain boundary of the Arroyo Simi flood plain that has kept his project from moving forward.
Now, after eight years and three appeals by the city of
With the green light, he's still anxious to press forward even though the housing market has tanked.
"I don't give up. I'm not a quitter," said Chung, president of the Newport Beach-based company, Pacific Communities. "For each project that is completed, as a builder, you have a sense of accomplishment."
Chung has survived a construction market that has seen other homebuilders fold under less pressure.
In 1999, Chung's Pacific Communities got approval from the Moorpark City Council to build a 247-unit, detached, single-family project as well as 37 affordable housing units. That development agreement remains in effect until Jan. 15, 2019.
Chung completed the grading for the site, but in 2000 the city asked him to halt the project while FEMA redrew flood-plain boundaries, he said.
When the first draft of the new flood maps was released in September 2005, Chung's development was among the 1,000 acres included in the flood zone.
In fact, the FEMA draft Digital Flood Insurance Rate Map (D-FIRM) more than doubled the size of the flood plain in Moorpark and
Broader flood boundaries meant more property owners would have to buy flood insurance, jeopardizing Chung's and other developers' multimillion-dollar projects.
But Moorpark's successful appeal to FEMA, which had Chung's financial backing, deleted 220 of the 1,000 acres from the flood zone, giving Chung and others the go-ahead.
Several blocks away, Shea Homes'
Shea Homes' office has a sign that reads: "The sales office and models will be closed until further notice."
There are 102 homes planned to be built in the second phase, said Dave Bobardt, Moorpark's planning director. "Shea Homes has indicated they want to proceed."
Although these two residential developments can resume construction, the OK comes at a time when homes aren't selling and the market is uncertain.
Another affordable housing project in the city, a 200-unit apartment complex that was expected to be built on 10.5 acres south of Casey Road and west of Walnut Canyon Road, was scrapped in December.
Earlier this year, William Lyon Homes transferred ownership of 200 vacant lots off
The Arroyo Simi stretches from
Chung invested too much to let his project go. Although he said this is the most complicated project in his 20-plus years as a homebuilder, he is holding on. "After so many years, I can't give up," he said. #
http://venturacountystar.com/news/2008/mar/16/flood-plain-report-waylays-developers/
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WATER AGENCIES:
Area water districts resist teaming up
By Jennifer McLain, staff writer
An increase in water rates by a major Southern California water supplier last week has officials asking whether it's time to revamp water agencies in the
The rate hike by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California will increase the average household water bill by $1.50 a month, affecting millions of consumers.
Many officials say water districts should be looking for ways to save money rather than simply increasing rates.
"In the
Each water district, some of which overlap in coverage area and responsibility, requires a complete staff, infrastructure and a board of elected directors. Most board members receive benefits such as meeting stipends, health care, car allowances and retirement perks.
Many officials believe consolidating water agencies would result greater efficiency, reduced operating costs, better service and lower rates.
Consolidation has been proposed by state officials, grand juries and watchdog groups throughout the state since the 1990s. Efforts to merge agencies, however, have been largely unsuccessful.
"There is a lot of political fighting in the water agencies," said Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe.
"There is so much money, and they just want to protect their own fiefdoms."
Merged agencies split
One example of politics trumping savings is the
The two water agencies, which cover 41 cities from Rolling Hills Estates to
"You've got Central and
The two districts merged in 1990, sharing staff and an office building - which was later sold by Central to
Representatives from both districts said subsequent rate increases were not attributable to the split, even though operating expenses rose.
During 2005-06, the year before the split,
"The idea behind combining staff and operating jointly was to save cost and to streamline the process," said
Since 2004, administrative costs at
"Where consolidation may serve one area, it may not be in the best interest for another," said Richard Nagel, general manager at West Basin Municipal Water District. "It is a very complex question."
Knabe said his office tried to help the water agencies resolve their differences.
"What I don't want to see is agencies warring down here at the expense of long-term needs," he said.
Perks and power stall efforts
A 2000 report issued by the Little Hoover Commission concluded that despite positive impacts of consolidation, agencies would not pursue it because they did not know how to proceed and didn't want to lose power.
The report also stated that because the public doesn't understand how water agencies and districts work, there was no outside pressure.
Consolidation is doable, said Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District Director Alfonso Contreras.
"The problem is, honestly, we don't want to give up our powers," he said.
Contreras also said many directors don't want to lose their perks.
Twelve
This year,
"When it gets to the point when it is easier and better to get a government job and have government perks than it is in the public aspect of the world, then we've got a problem," said state Sen. Bob Margett, R-Glendora.
The Hoover Commission report concluded that where consolidations have occurred, services improved and costs fell.
In
In 2002, Fellow recommended merging his water district with the San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District and Three Valleys Municipal Water District.
Timothy Jochem, general manager for the Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District, said it was concluded that, "there wouldn't be any public benefit for any consolidations to occur."
Nearly 10 years ago, Knabe wanted the Water Replenishment District of Southern California turned over to
"I kept looking into WRD and whether the county could perform the same function," Knabe said. "I just saw a lot of overlapping."
Former state Sen. Richard Polanco, D-
"There was an effort at one time to bring them together as a superagency," said Robb Whittaker, general manager at WRD. "That idea didn't go very far."
Sprawl prompts districts
Local water agencies proliferated from the 1920s to the 1950s, when urban sprawl in the county was just beginning, according to the California Special Districts Association. Residents needed utilities, including water, and formed agencies to serve communities that were beyond the reach of incorporated cities.
In the
"
But today, some argue that districts needed 50 years ago are no longer necessary.
"Let's not forget where we live. This is a semi-arid area," said Albert Robles, director of the Water Replenishment District of Southern California. "Ninety-five percent of what you see would not exist if it weren't for the imported water. But should we be more efficient? Yes."
Local Agency Formation Commissions, which draw members from various public agencies, oversee the organization of publicly owned water districts.
"There are some LAFCOs in the state that if they had their way, they would merge everyone," said Sandor Winger, executive officer of the Los Angeles LAFCO.
But consolidating districts does not always create efficiency and is not always cheaper for rate payers, he said.
"If you have two equal water companies," Winger said, "the services they may provide if they merge may make a lot of people unhappy."
Among the responsibilities of LAFCOs is to look into whether consolidation could make for more efficient agencies.
"We can merge all these things if we find it necessary, but the law does not encourage it as, `Hey, go and start merging,"' Winger said. "If things are running well and serving the community, there is no reason to do that."
The
"I am not saying that consolidation is the answer for all districts," Knabe said. "But at some point, we need a major legislative review of what water agencies do and how they perform." #
http://www.whittierdailynews.com/news/ci_8589657
WATER POLICY:
Editorial: Bond proposal fresh start on fix
Inland valley Daily Bulletin – 3/16/08
So it's good to see Sen. Mike Machado, D-Stockton, trying to rekindle interest by offering a $6.8 billion bond proposal. Although sketchy, the bill represents a fresh starting point for bipartisan discussion on how to meet long-term needs.
Machado is a key lawmaker on water because his district includes much of the ecologically troubled Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, which supplies water to 25 million Californians. Sen. Dave Cogdill, R-Fresno, the leader-elect of Senate Republicans, has pledged to work with him. Cogdill's district includes
The challenge is bridging a longstanding partisan divide: Republicans favor building dams and other major infrastructure, while Democrats focus on conservation and environmental safeguards. Machado includes ideas from both sides, including stepped-up delta protections, new water storage and the governor's new goal of reducing per capita water use 20 percent by 2020.
Water solutions will be tough to tackle with a huge budget deficit. But it's good policy-makers are at least trying to restart the dialogue. #
NEW GM:
IID names Brady as general manager
By Victor Morales, staff writer
After nine months without a permanent general manager, the Imperial Irrigation District named a veteran engineer and administrator to the top executive post Friday.
Brian J. Brady, 59, the current general manager of the Rancho California Water District in Temecula, a civil engineer and doctorate holder, was unanimously selected by the IID Board of Directors weeks ago, IID spokesman Kevin Kelley said.
Since then Brady had been negotiating his terms and conditions of employment, precluding an earlier announcement, Kelley said.
Brady was given a four-year contract worth $275,000 per year, Kelley said.
“Brian Brady comes to the IID with more than 30 years of engineering, management and organizational experience in the water and energy fields. We believe that he is the right individual to lead the district at this pivotal juncture in its history,” IID board President John Pierre Menvielle said through a press release.
While at the Rancho California District, Brady integrated an aggressive resource plan in order to meet municipal, industrial and agricultural needs, according to the IID’s press release.
“Like all energy and water utilities in the West, IID faces big challenges but with those challenges come distinct opportunities that will shape the organization’s future,” Brady said.
Specifically, Brady said in an interview with the Imperial Valley Press, protecting
Despite those challenges, Brady said the IID is an exciting opportunity.
“For a person like me it’s where I want to be,” Brady said, citing the experience and knowledge he gained and its potential application to the IID, including alternative energy.
“I think IID has the capability to become a major player in renewable energy,” he said.
The Rancho California District’s service area includes 100,000 acres, 940 miles of water mains, 36 storage reservoirs, 47 groundwater wells, and 40,000 service connections. More than 120,000 people are serviced by the district, according to its Web site.
Brady takes command of a considerably larger operation. The IID delivers water to more than 450,000 acres. The IID also has a large electrical division,
“I look forward to working with the board and staff to protect and enhance the IID’s unique energy and water resources, strengthen its financial position and advance the level of service it provides to the public,” Brady said.
Brady will report directly to the five-member elected board. He characterized them as “assertive” and said he has the experience to work with them.
“I have both served on a board of directors and reported to them. Each of them has their particular characteristic, and I think this board, like most boards I have dealt with, are very dedicated to the best interest of their constituents,” Brady said.
Brady said he has met with each board members several times both collectively and individually.
Brady will likely assume his duties in mid-April, Kelley said. Presently a Riverside county resident, Brady said he intends to make the
He will replace Interim General Manager Mike Campbell, who took over for another interim GM, Elston Grubaugh, in September 2007. The string of interim general managers began when General Manager Charles Hosken was fired after serving less than two years of his three-year contract.
Hosken’s termination followed an investigation into the district’s 2005 energy-trading program that exposed policies were violated and millions of dollars were spent beyond established restrictions.
http://www.ivpressonline.com/articles/2008/03/15/local_news/news03.txt
DWR's California Water News is distributed to California Department of Water Resources management and staff, for information purposes, by the DWR Public Affairs Office. For reader's services, including new subscriptions, temporary cancellations and address changes, please use the online page: http://listhost2.water.ca.gov/mailman/listinfo/water_news. DWR operates and maintains the State Water Project, provides dam safety and flood control and inspection services, assists local water districts in water management and water conservation planning, and plans for future statewide water needs. Inclusion of materials is not to be construed as an endorsement of any programs, projects, or viewpoints by the Department or the State of
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