Department of Water Resources
A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
April 14, 2009
5. Agencies, Programs, People –
Irrigation district urged to restart project
The Sacramento
Editorial: Making
The
PWD's donations questioned after agency hikes water rates
The
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Irrigation district urged to restart project
The
By Cathy Locke
El Dorado Irrigation District officials are being urged to help stimulate the local economy by proceeding with a project they postponed last fall because of cash-flow concerns.
The board in August awarded a $4.6 million contract to D.G. Granade Inc. of Shingle Springs to construct a new shops building, warehouse addition and parking improvements at district headquarters in
Although the district was able to issue nearly $133 million in bonds earlier this year, the majority of funding for the headquarters project is deferred to 2010 in the five-year capital improvement plan the board adopted Monday.
The project architect, however, advised the district to obtain grading permits for the project to avoid having to redo plans to comply with changes in code requirements. Debra Smith of Anova Architects said city officials appear willing to extend the duration of permits to accommodate the construction delay.
Craig Harris, project manager for D.G. Granade, proposed doing the construction in phases. With permits in place, he said, contractors could proceed with whatever work the district's budget could handle.
The project, which would provide up to 70 construction-related jobs, is important to the local economy, Harris said.
"Close to $3 million in this project will stay with
The 2009 budget includes $200,000 for the headquarters project, enough to cover permit costs.
The board will consider a proposal to phase in that project April 27.
The district updates its five-year capital improvement plan each year. The 2009 plan consists of 140 projects with a total cost of $63.6 million. #
http://www.sacbee.com/ourregion/story/1777837.html?mi_rss=Our%2520Region
Editorial: Making
The City Council should move ahead with a pricing plan and other rules that will encourage conservation.
The
It's getting more expensive to bring water to Los Angeles, and the reasons are many: The Sierra snowpack is below average again this year; the city has given up its claim to much of the Owens Valley snowmelt in order to reverse environmental damage; California Water Project supplies are diminished by both environmental needs and politics; and the Metropolitan Water District's allocations of water are being cut.
It has been two months since Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa responded with a call for drought-year pricing that decreases by 15% the amount of water that ratepayers can buy at the lowest tier of rates each month. It's a good plan. Frugal water users will remain unaffected, and of course will pay less if they use less. Guzzlers will hit the more expensive second tier sooner and, we hope, will take conservation measures more seriously after their first drought-year bill arrives in June.
But it won't arrive in June if the City Council doesn't move the process forward. The matter already has been to the Department of Water and Power's board, is going there a second time today, and will return to the council for a second time later this week. Given the complexity of water rates and the DWP's spotty record of justifying hikes, the council's hesitation is understandable. But there has been plenty of time for scrutiny. The drought-year rates should be adopted as soon as possible.
The council also will consider, and should adopt, the next phase of water restrictions, which, among other things, ban use of landscape sprinklers except on Mondays and Thursdays. Much of the city's waste is a result of over-watered lawns that would remain just as green with less watering.
The need to save water is real, and that message would be easier to deliver if the DWP were more consistent and more straightforward in its presentations to the council and to neighborhood groups. For example, a public notice in advance of today's board meeting states that customers whose use remains within the new, smaller allocation will see their bills decrease. That's not necessarily true; they have to use less if they want to pay less. Even that may not be enough; the whole city must decrease its use, or the DWP will be forced to buy water at much steeper rates from the Metropolitan Water District.
It would be nice if only the overusers picked up that higher tab, but without a further, and very time-consuming, overhaul of the city's rates, those higher prices would be borne by everyone. The council should take up that challenge too, but for now, the drought-year rates and the watering restrictions are the city's best opportunity to make sure that everyone retains the choice to save money by using less water.#
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-dwp14-2009apr14,0,7860961.story
PWD's donations questioned after agency hikes water rates
The
By Alisha Semchuck
PALMDALE - Some residents questioned why the Palmdale Water District board approved donating money to youth groups at a time when agency officials say they are running out of funds to pay their bills and need to raise customers' rates - in some cases by 200%.
Directors presented a total of $1,500 to three youth groups at the district board meeting on Wednesday night. Palmdale High School Baseball Boosters, Palmdale Pony Youth Baseball and the Palmdale High School Health Careers Academy each received $500 from the water district. District board President Jeff Storm said $2,000 was allocated in this year's budget for sponsorship of youth groups.
"This depletes the $2,000 set aside in the budget," Storm said. In February, the board contributed $500 to the Palmdale Little League.
Storm said water district officials "recognize the value of youth activities" in the community and these donations show the children "we're behind them."
A board memo from district General Manager Randy Hill indicated that directors have "been supportive of community youth activities" for some time, and they established a policy and annual budget to aid those activities.
"Sponsorship requests have typically been awarded on a first-come, first-served basis," Hill wrote. He noted that with a zero balance in that budget item, any other requests for sponsorship donations will go before the Outreach Committee for review and determination.
"How did they get around Proposition 218 to take ratepayers' money for contributions?" Mary Dincau asked, during a telephone interview following the meeting.
At the water district board meeting, Dincau and other members of the Ana Verde Rural Homeowners Association were told Prop. 218 prevented the district from using ratepayers money to subsidize water bills for retired people living on Social Security and low-income families.
Members of the Ana Verde Rural Homeowners Association, a tract of 42 houses north of Avenue S and west of
They invited Hill and district board member Dick Wells to explain the need for a rate hike that could drive monthly water bills up double or triple for some customers.
When members of that homeowners association asked Hill what if the proposed rate increase fails, he told them the district wouldn't have money to pay its bills, and would default.
Dincau said she believes in charitable contributions and realizes the importance of youth activities in a community. She emphasized that she is not opposed to helping youth groups in general. But, she also said that district officials should take economic conditions into account.
Helping youth groups is a nice gesture, Dincau said, "but this year (the district) can't afford it."
"I know it was only $2,000, but $2,000 spread over several people can make a difference." Dincau said perhaps that $2,000 could go toward an assistance program for the customers who will have difficulty paying higher water rates.
With the current economy, Dincau said, "some of the charitable things I give to, I had to cut back on."
She said she wants to tell district officials, "You're bleeding. You're bleeding badly. You can't afford to give a transfusion to anybody, no matter how badly they're bleeding."
"You've got to stop the bleeding. Spend money only on water and water district operations."
"They have to stop the bleeding," Dincau said, "and they have to stop it at the top."#
http://www.avpress.com/n/13/0413_s6.hts
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