Opposition mounts against Garcia’s bill, headed toward preliminary hearings at the end of the month
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on April 16, 2008 at 5:53 amFrom the Imperial Valley Press Online:
Opposition continues to mount against Assembly Bill 2564 as it nears the preliminary hearing date at the end of this month. The Modesto Irrigation District and the Association of California Water Agencies have both opposed the proposed legislation authored by Assemblywoman Bonnie Garcia, R-Cathedral City.
Garcia has cited a lack of representation on the Imperial Irrigation District board for Coachella Valley energy consumers as one of the primary reasons for the legislation. Coachella customers account for 60 percent of IID’s energy ratepayers. Once that percentage reaches 75, Coachella residents would be allowed to vote on whether a new utility to serve their area should be created. Garcia estimates IID is 10 years away from such a vote.
But without a sponsor on the bill, some have questioned where the support for AB2564 is coming from. “If all of IID’s customers in Riverside County were jumping up and down screaming that we take a position, we would,” said Riverside County Board of Supervisors Chairman Roy Wilson. “We haven’t had an overwhelming ground swell of public opinion to tell us to do that.”
In a related story, Imperial County Board of Supervisors are being urged to oppose the bill:
The Imperial County Board of Supervisors has been urged by county staff to oppose Assembly Bill 2564.>
A letter has been drafted by Bob Ham, Imperial County director of intergovernmental relations, and action could be taken April 22. “I think we’re going to need to oppose the bill,” Ham said during Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting. “It’s a bad bill. And the bill needs to be killed.”
The item will be on the agenda for the next supervisor’s meeting. Click here to read the full text of the first article, and click here to read the second article, both from the Imperial Valley Press Online.
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