Palmdale Water District vows to ease customer woes
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on March 4, 2010 at 6:34 amFrom the Antelope Valley Press:
“Soaring rates should stabilize for Palmdale Water District customers now with a new board in place and the return of the old general manager.
General Manager Dennis LaMoreaux, who worked there for nearly two decades until the former board majority forced his resignation in March 2008, and current PWD board President Gordon Dexter met with some Antelope Valley Press editors on Friday and pledged to do everything in their power to lower water rates as much as possible and ease the burden on the district’s customers.
“I’ve tried to understand better what’s happened the last two years,” said LaMoreaux, who was rehired Jan. 29 after the election of Dexter and director Steve Cordova.
LaMoreaux said he will work through the rate structure “until it’s crystal clear where we’re at and still do what’s (right) for the customers.” … “
Continue reading this article from the Antelope Valley Press by clicking here.
Antelope Valley water users leery of chloramines
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on December 10, 2009 at 6:16 amFrom the Los Angeles Times:
“When Frances O’Hara moved from New York to Los Angeles in 2006, taking a shower became torture. Her eyes burned, her skin itched and an unsightly rash spread across her face and body.
But when the Silver Lake resident, a student and model, traveled out of the city or resorted to washing in bottled water, she said, her ailments would cease. After months of research, she concluded that the problem was the chloramines being added to the water supply in Los Angeles.
“What I’m going through is so insane,” O’Hara said. “It’s destroying my career. I’m going to move because of this.”
Such anecdotes have prompted some residents in the Antelope Valley to aggressively oppose a plan to treat their water with chloramine, a long-lasting chemical used to rid tap water of bacteria and contaminants but that they fear can lead to health risks.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has mandated that the local water agency switch from chlorine to chloramines by October 2014. Many communities, including Los Angeles, Long Beach and San Diego, made the conversion years ago. … “
Read more from the Los Angeles Times by clicking here.
District looks for resources in bid to bank surplus water
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on November 3, 2009 at 12:08 pmFrom the Antelope Valley Press:
“ROSAMOND – Even after the Rosamond Community Services District manages to bank some surplus water, it will be some time before the agency can draw that water from the ground to supply its customers.
Rosamond first needs the proper pumping wells, which could take a year to develop, according to district General Manager Jack Stewart.
He said the agency has funds for construction – a total of $11 million from a combination of resources.
An agreement for Antelope Valley-East Kern Water Agency to deliver 500 acre-feet of Rosamond’s carryover water to the Antelope Valley Water Bank is currently being finalized. Carryover water refers to supplies ordered, but not used in the prior year. …”
Read more from the Antelope Valley Press by clicking here.
Antelope Valley lawns dying of thirst: Residents face dilemma of watering or facing city fines
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on September 23, 2009 at 6:19 amFrom the Antelope Valley Press:
“If grass could speak, it might borrow a line from Kermit the Frog: “It’s not easy being green,” especially when water shortages and conservation efforts have left many brown lawns around the Antelope Valley.
The state of California is years into a drought. Water rates are soaring. The Valley recently faced the biggest wildfire in history, and now lawns are dying.
In some parts of Palmdale, property owners face a “damned if they do, damned if they don’t” dilemma. Those served by the Palmdale Water District, primarily on the east side of town, must comply with watering restrictions imposed by the district board of directors to conserve supplies during this three-year drought by limiting watering to three days a week. Yet, they must also abide by property maintenance rules adopted by the City Council.
“There is an ordinance that you have to keep your lawns maintained,” said Mike McNeil, supervising code enforcement officer for the city. …”
Read more from the Antelope Valley Press by clicking here.
Unhappy residents team up against Palmdale Water District
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on September 3, 2009 at 1:30 pmFrom the Antelope Valley Press:
“Residents of one of the city’s newer housing tracts on the east side feel financially drained by the Palmdale Water District’s recent rate hike, which ranged from 65% to more than 140% for some customers.
Roughly 20 neighbors from the Discovery Trail housing development, a tract roughly 2 years old near Avenue R and 62nd Street East, gathered Monday night at the home of Mary Sanchez to discuss their concerns with the water district. “There’s no way to manage your water bill. That’s the biggest thing,” said Tracey Summerford, who moved into her home in October. “There’s no set structure for us to figure how many units (of water) we’re allotted. It’s too random. You have no control over what your water bill is going to be.”
Summerford and Sanchez attended their first PWD board meeting on Aug. 12, when they asked why their monthly bills jumped so high.
“My bill went from $12.80 to $185,” Summerford, a Neighborhood Watch captain, told the water board.
“My water bill went from $139 to $468,” Sanchez said at that meeting. Since then Sanchez received another monthly bill, one for $324. Together that meant she owed the water district $792, plus a prior balance that brought her total to $924. “That’s my two car payments,” said Sanchez, who moved into her home in November. …”
Read more from the Antelope Valley Press by clicking here.
Water district trying to shut out public, board member: “I know it’s done purposely,” says Figueroa
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on September 1, 2009 at 3:53 pmFrom the Antelope Valley Press:
“Palmdale Water District board members’ 4-0 decision to shift their meeting time earlier will inconvenience members of the public as well as the board member who often doesn’t vote the others’ way. Board meetings will now start with a closed session at 5:30 p.m., followed by the public meeting at 6:30 p.m.
The earlier time will make it harder for Palmdale Water District customers who commute long distances to and from work to attend meetings.
In addition, director Raul Figueroa, an aerospace engineer who is frequently the lone dissenter on board votes, said the earlier time will make it hard for him to get to the start of the 5:30 p.m. closed session.
“I know it’s done purposely,” Figueroa said later. …”
Read more from the Antelope Valley Press by clicking here.
PWD suit: City, dump water plan
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on August 29, 2009 at 7:45 amFrom the Antelope Valley Press:
“Palmdale Water District officials announced Wednesday the district has filed a lawsuit against the city over the city’s plan to install a water-delivery system so it can use reclaimed wastewater to irrigate city parks and other public landscaping.
The lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court seeks an order to compel the city to follow requirements of the Water Recycling Act of 1991 and duplication of service laws. The city has contended no duplication of service exists because the water district does not currently offer recycled water.
The Water Recycling Act gives the first right to deliver recycled water to Palmdale Water District, the district contends. In filing suit, the district is asserting a role as sole legal water purveyor, an assertion the city disputes and plans to defend in litigation.
“The city of Palmdale’s actions to take over irrigation water service is a blatant and illegal invasion of PWD’s rights, and we will not allow them to harm our customers in this way without a fight,” PWD President Jeff Storm said. …”
Read more from the Antelope Valley Press by clicking here.
Palmdale paying price for quality water
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on August 18, 2009 at 7:39 amFrom the Antelope Valley Press:
“Although the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency hasn’t set a timetable to regulate allowable levels of pharmaceuticals and herbicides in drinking water, the Palmdale Water District recently conducted tests to check water quality after adding granular activated carbon into the treatment process.
Granular activated carbon cost the water district $7.1 million for the initial fill plus replacement for an additional two years, according to a contract the district entered in mid-2008 with Calgon Carbon Corp. Granular activated carbon is a porous material usually made from crushed coal, but it can also come from compressed wood or coconut shells.
Based on the contract terms, Calgon will provide the material and related services for Phase II of the water treatment plant, which can process up to 35 million gallons of water a day.
Granular activated carbon absorbs organic matter such as decaying plant sediment and organic compounds, which include certain medications, health care products and herbicides. When Greg Dluzak, the water district production manager, reported the test results to the water board during its July meeting, he estimated the EPA would establish a standard for maximum contaminant levels sometime in the next 10 years.
Currently, there’s “no specified (EPA) standard methods of analysis in place,” Dluzak said. …”
Read more from the Antelope Valley Press by clicking here.
Tempers flare in Antelope Valley water wars
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on August 6, 2009 at 6:21 amFrom the Antelope Valley Press:
“As Palmdale city and water district officials prepare to return to court over the water district’s May rate hike, they are lobbing criticism back and forth.
Palmdale Water District placed a full-page advertisement in Sunday’s Antelope Valley Press, saying the city’s lawsuit against the water district will only cost taxpayers and ratepayers money that could better be spent in other ways. Mayor Jim Ledford responded Monday in a letter calling the rate hike “exorbitant and incomprehensible” as well as illegal.
A Los Angeles Superior Court judge last month refused Palmdale’s request for a preliminary injunction to block the rate hike, but another court hearing is scheduled Wednesday in Los Angeles on the city’s request for a permanent injunction. A city attorney said it could take months before the request goes to trial.
“PWD has won the first court ruling, but the city insists it will continue lawsuits, so the battle begins,” the Palmdale Water District ad said. “PWD estimates it will be forced to spend half a million dollars to defend itself against the city. The city will likely spend half a million dollars to attack PWD. That’s one million dollars spent with no benefit to our community.” …”
Read more from the Antelope Valley Press by clicking here.
Antelope Valley area water purveyor applies for hefty rate increases
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on August 2, 2009 at 7:07 amFrom the Antelope Valley Press:
“Water rates keep rising like the tide among purveyors around the state. The private company that serves Leona Valley, Lake Hughes and part of Lancaster is no exception, filing a rate increase request with the Public Utilities Commission.
The California Water Service Co., a San Jose firm that supplies water to communities throughout California, recently notified its customers in the Antelope Valley District of a proposed rate hike set over a three-year cycle, which would increase monthly bills for the average Lancaster customer 79.4% beginning Jan. 1, 2011. A customer with a 5/8-inch meter consuming 38 units of water per month would pay $71.98 more for that usage, according to the notification. The bill would jump from $90.70 to $162.68. Each unit of water equals 748 gallons. Then an increase of 17.2% would follow on Jan. 1, 2012, raising that year’s bills to $190.65 a month, and on Jan. 1, 2013, the third increase of 14.7% would cost that same consumer $218.62.
“I’m appalled. That’s such an exorbitant increase,” said Debbie Pimental, a customer who has lived near Avenue L-4 and 23rd Street West for 30 years. “I’m thinking I’ve got to sell my house and move. …”
Read more from the Antelope Valley Press by clicking here.
More trouble for Palmdale Water District: Threat to sue flows from new water costs
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 18, 2009 at 12:09 pmFrom the Antelope Valley Press:
A couple of recent bills from the Palmdale Water District steamed one customer who warned the agency he just might file a class action suit.
Whether Kamal Al-Khatib, executive director of the Guidance Charter School, takes legal action depends on the willingness of PWD officials to rectify what he considers an injustice – water bills that jumped 100% in a month. “Charter school bills are so crazy. I cannot tell you how crazy they are,” Al-Khatib said Wednesday.
He noted that the charter school’s bill had been $50 a month since September 2008 for an on-site hydrant, the minimum charge for having a water connection. “We don’t use a drop of water from (that),” Al-Khatib said. “We never complained about that (bill),” he added.
Then on June 29, based on its records for the school, the water district issued a bill for $100 and, as Al-Khatib said, they still hadn’t used any water from the fire hydrant line. “I complain about going from $50 to $100. That’s a 100% increase, not 19% as was presented to the people,” he said, referring to comments made by PWD General Manager Randy Hill prior to the implementation of a new water rate structure in mid-May.
Read more from the Antelope Valley Press by clicking here.
City of Palmdale and Palmdale Water District in hot water over rates
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 12, 2009 at 7:22 amFrom the Antelope Valley Press:
Well, the city of Palmdale and the Palmdale Water District remain in hot water over water rates. The city failed to get a restraining order to stop collection of the largest water rate increase in the district’s history.
It’s a big increase. If you were a small business with a $100 water bill a month or two back, it is probably double now. If you are a senior, living on a fixed income, an extra $30 or $40 a month is a very big deal. The only thing achieved in Wednesday’s hearing was to relieve the water district of some cash flow problems, but not enough, probably.
Here is what the judge found:
Judge Conrad Aragon ruled Wednesday in favor of the water district, refusing Palmdale’s request for a preliminary injunction on a recent water rate hike that adds from 65% to more than 140% to customers’ monthly bills.
The rate hike was approved May 13 by a 3-2 board vote despite vocal protests of more than 200 customers who packed the water district board room, spilling out into the hall and a side yard. Before making the decision, Palmdale Water District General Manager Randy Hill warned customers if rates did not increase, the district would face major financial problems that would be cured by defaulting on district bills, laying off employees or filing bankruptcy.
Read more from the Antelope Valley Press by clicking here.
Palmdale Water District wins Round 1 of rate battle
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 10, 2009 at 6:32 amFrom the Antelope Valley Press:
A Superior Court judge ruled Wednesday in favor of the Palmdale Water District, refusing Palmdale’s request for a preliminary injunction on a recent water rate hike that adds from 65% to more than 140% to customers’ monthly bills.
Representing the city, attorney Mitchell Abbott argued that the rate increase, which took effect May 14, was not properly explained or presented to customers, leaving many confused even today, weeks after their water bills spiked. “We believe no person of average intelligence can take the notice they issued and understand what effect it is going to have on their rate,” Abbott said in court.
But Judge Conrad Aragon said in order for the court to intervene, he needed to hear more than opinions and interpretations. Aragon asked Abbott to demonstrate how the new formula is “fatally flawed.”
Abbott said the district’s formula for determining a customer’s rate is so complex the individual does not know how the new rate will change a water bill until it has already arrived in the mail. “It’s impossible to apply their formula to determine a rate until after the water has been used,” Abbott said. “It’s like the Oscars. ‘May I have the envelope, please’ – you open it and that’s your rate.”
Read more from the Antelope Valley Press by clicking here.
Palmdale Water District rate increase dispute to wash up in court
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 7, 2009 at 7:09 amFrom the Antelope Valley Press:
Representatives from the city of Palmdale and the Palmdale Water District are set to square off about a water rate increase, Wednesday, before a Superior Court judge in downtown Los Angeles.
City officials filed a complaint with the court on May 8 to block a proposed rate hike, which the district board approved 3-2 at a public hearing on May 13 despite vocal protests of more than 200 customers. The increase raised monthly bills of some district customers anywhere from 65% to more than 140%. A city attorney filed a request for a preliminary injunction prior to the public hearing in hopes of stopping the increase, according to court documents.
Both parties are slated to meet before Judge Conrad Aragon at 8:30 a.m. in Department 49 on the fifth floor of the Stanley Mosk Courthouse, 111 N. Hill Street, Los Angeles, to see if the judge will grant the injunction, a court spokeswoman said.
“We are going to ask that the court find any increase they adopt is void and invalid,” said Palmdale Assistant City Attorney Judy Skousen in early May.
Read more from the Antelope Valley Press by clicking here.
Antelope Valley’s proposed solar plant still thirsty
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 7, 2009 at 7:07 amFrom the Antelope Valley Press:
Water remains the central issue at the heart of the state licensing process for a 250-megawatt solar power plant proposed on former agricultural land northwest of California City near the community of Cantil.
Beacon Solar LLC, a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources LLC, has applied to the state to construct and operate the solar plant on some 2,000 acres of land off State Route 14 that was once used for alfalfa farming. The plant would use a series of curved mirrors to capture and reflect sunlight on a series of tubes. Liquids in the tubes would be heated by the sunlight and in turn used to power a steam turbine, which actually produces the electricity.
The California Energy Commission, which is tasked with licensing the plant, held a public workshop on the proposed plant July 1 in Cal City, the second meeting to cover issues raised in the initial state staff assessment of the project.
The power plant application falls under the commission’s “in lieu” permitting process, which combines the various permits required from local, state and federal agencies into one process.
The biggest obstacle to the plant’s licensing appears to be the company’s intent to use 1,400 acre-feet of groundwater from the site each year to cool the solar power system. The California Energy Commission and the state Water Resources Control Board have policies against using potable water to cool power plants unless there is no other feasible alternative, said Eric Solorio, project manager for the energy commission.
At issue appears to be what is considered “feasible.”
Read more from the Antelope Valley Press by clicking here.
Water crisis unites East Kern communities
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on June 29, 2009 at 5:57 amFrom the Antelope Valley Press:
The region’s water woes – specifically local water districts’ disagreements with the Antelope Valley-East Kern Water Agency over the use of chloramines – have brought with them something of a silver lining in the form of increased cooperation among the communities of East Kern in working toward their mutual benefit.
“We’ve all come together. We all realize we share common goals,” said Jack Stewart, general manager of the Rosamond Community Services District, in an address Thursday to the Mojave Chamber of Commerce. The region is “totally different than south of Avenue A (in Los Angeles County), and we’re totally different than Bakersfield (the Kern County seat),” he said.
The addition of Rosamond as an active participant in regional development efforts has helped reinvigorate the combined forces of Mojave, California City, Tehachapi, Boron and Ridgecrest.
Read more from the Antelope Valley Press by clicking here.
Water rates up, but not for Littlerock; General manager says bills have not increased in 12 years
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on June 29, 2009 at 5:54 amFrom the Antelope Valley Press:
In the midst of a flood of water rate increases, one purveyor has managed to keep its customers’ costs down.
Board members of Littlerock Creek Irrigation District unanimously approved two resolutions Wednesday night: one keeps customer fees for the State Water Project agreement as well as property tax assessments at the existing rate. The second resolution maintains water usage and meter service charges the same as in prior years. “We haven’t raised water rates in 12 years,” Littlerock Irrigation District General Manager Brad Bones said.
He attributes part of the reason to a static population inside the district, which covers 10,700 acres and has about 1,100 customers. “We’ve had very small growth in the last 10 years,” Bones said.
That there is no sewer system and homes and businesses all use septic tanks has kept developers away, according to Bones. And residents prefer life that way, he said. “We like our rural atmosphere,” he said.
Read more from the Antelope Valley Press by clicking here.
Palmdale Water District: First the Storm, next the red ink flood, says editorial
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on June 23, 2009 at 6:54 amFrom the Antelope Valley Press:
Randy Hill, the general manager of the Palmdale Water District, is upset that information about doings in the district are being leaked to the press. Being upset is natural. Staying angry won’t help the fix the district is in.
A Valley Press reporter was leaked an internal memo that described the district’s sinking finances. Instead of obtaining a bond issue to spread payments for district improvements over 30 years, the district operated with cash in hand until it became apparent that layoffs, furloughs, and other budget cuts would be needed to forestall a potential bankruptcy.
In conjunction with that, the district was planning its largest rate increase ever, with some customers’ bills expected to more than double. Why? Because of the water district’s dire straits.
The manager was furious about publication of the memo. Understandable. Few government functionaries like to see their options and strategems laid out before they choose to air them.
Over at the newspaper, a different weighing test is employed. It is not whether someone, official or elected, will be angry over publication. This isn’t national security. This is an explanation of how and why so many people in Palmdale are getting their water rates jacked up – particularly in a time of severely stressed economy.
The manager wanted to know why that news couldn’t wait. The answer is because news is news when it is new. And people expect new information, accurate information, truthful information – whether it comes from testimony from the dais, or in an option paper of high interest to an interested public.
Read more of this editorial from the Antelope Valley Press by clicking here.
Mix-up with Palmdale Water District directors’ re-election web sites spurs objections
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on June 17, 2009 at 6:47 amFrom the Antelope Valley Press:
Two Palmdale Water District directors said Web sites promoting their re-election campaigns went up prematurely, without their permission and with misleading information that claimed the California Teachers Association endorsed them.
Paul Scott, regional executive director for the Lancaster office of the California Teachers Association, said the association did not endorse PWD Directors Dave Gomez and Dick Wells. He also objected that his name appeared on the biography pages of the Web sites, giving Internet visitors the impression he was somehow involved in their campaigns.
Also listed as an endorser of both candidates is the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, the union of which Gomez is a member.
“I’m not part of their campaign,” said Scott, a member of the Antelope Valley College Citizens Oversight Committee, which keeps tabs on the college’s spending of Measure R bond funds. “I’m not personally endorsing them and neither is CTA.”
Scott said the minute he learned that his name and that of the teachers union appeared on the Web sites, he contacted www.zamnem.com, the Web site operator, to immediately remove them. “I talked to the vendor,” Scott said. “The vendor told me (the site) was under construction. He thought because it was under construction, it couldn’t be accessed.”
Read more from the Antelope Valley Press by clicking here.
Palmdale Water District orders furloughs to keep credit
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on June 13, 2009 at 6:24 amFrom the Antelope Valley Press:
If it’s true that still waters run deep, then hushed voices of Palmdale Water District employees said more than words ever could. Roughly 40 employees barely uttered a word Wednesday night when they attended the district’s board meeting in which directors voted on ways to trim expenses in the agency’s day-to-day operations, solutions recommended by Randy Hill, the newest general manager, who took charge in November.
The board voted 4-1 to lay off five employees, with Raul Figueroa casting the “no” vote. Directors also approved two days per month of unpaid work furlough for the remaining staff and accepted early retirement for three long-time employees.
During a special meeting June 4, Hill said the budget cuts had to total $700,000. Within a week that number nearly doubled. “I do propose deeper cuts than $700,000,” Hill told the directors. He suggested the board approve $1.3 million in cuts, calling that recommendation “the most significant change since our last meeting.”
Read more from the Antelope Valley Press by clicking here.
California City budget calls for 75% water rate hike
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on June 8, 2009 at 6:32 amFrom the Antelope Valley Press:
Water customers could be facing rate hikes of as much as 75% in another year under a budget outline presented to the City Council.
The proposed outline, approved by consensus of the council at its Tuesday meeting, is a requirement of the city’s application for a $5 million U.S. Department of Agriculture loan for water line replacement. The outline, with its proposed rate hikes to cover operating expenses, demonstrates the city’s ability to pay back the loan, Public Works Director Michael Bevins said.
“Without a rate increase, the USDA loan is not even a possibility,” he said.
Approval of the budget outline shows the agency the city realizes a rate hike is necessary.
Read more from the Antelope Valley Press by clicking here.
Palmdale Water District employees to be surveyed on cutbacks
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on June 6, 2009 at 6:02 amFrom the Antelope Valley Press:
Palmdale Water District employees will be surveyed about their preferences – among layoffs, furloughs, cuts in benefits and other options – as ways to cut $700,000 in spending by October.
At a special meeting Thursday night that drew more than 50 of the district’s 80-plus employees, General Manager Randy Hill said employees with whom he has talked have indicated they preferred furloughs to layoffs and did not want to give up medical benefits. “I’m not picky on what way we get there, as long as we hit that target number,” Hill told PWD directors.
After surveying employees, Hill is to report back to directors at their June 10 meeting. Hill offered to take a $15,000 cut in his $215,000 annual salary, saying he wants to lead by example.
PWD officials said the district has spent down its cash reserves over past years, and needs to make cuts in spending to ensure it can pay employees and meet other commitments, such as bond payments.
Read more from the Antelope Valley Press by clicking here.
Palmdale Water District calls special meeting to discuss spending reductions
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on June 5, 2009 at 5:47 amFrom the Antelope Valley Press:
Palmdale Water District directors have called a special meeting tonight to discuss possible reductions in spending in the 2009 budget, which might include layoffs.
Among actions directors will consider to solve the cash shortfall faced by the district is ratifying a decision by General Manager Randy Hill to cancel some existing contracts and place others on hold. Projects identified for cancellation in a memo prepared by Hill include engineering for the water treatment plant operation and maintenance plan at a cost of $73,160 plus $1.1 million in upgrades to the water distribution system called Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition, a computerized control system that monitors water levels.
Tonight’s meeting starts at 7 at the water district’s offices, 2029 East Ave. Q.
Projects expected to be put on hold include construction, drilling and equipping of three wells for a total cost of $1,377,522; conceptual design of the facilities yard master plan at a cost of $6,828; Littlerock Dam sediment removal at a cost of $242,807; and engineering for an electrolysis system at a cost of $35,775. The total of projects proposed to be put on hold comes to $1,662,932.
Read more from the Antelope Valley Press by clicking here.
Did Palmdale Water District violate the Brown Act?
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on June 5, 2009 at 5:45 amFrom the Antelope Valley Press:
There are generally two kinds of Brown Act violations. There are those that are procedural, unintentional, and often can be construed as harmless to the public. The other kind of Brown Act violation may or may not be intentional, but to allow it to stand is to inflict material injury on the public that Brown is intended to protect.
It is this second kind of violation where material injury was done to the public by a majority board vote from directors of the Palmdale Water District at its Special Meeting of April 13, 2009.
The legally noticed purpose for the Special Meeting was the Strategic Water Resources Plan. Under Brown, it is only the specific item on the agenda for the meeting that can be discussed legally. In other words, you cannot tack on “emergency items” as a board member because you decide there is an emergency.
Read more from the Antelope Valley Press by clicking here.
Palmdale Water District on ‘fiscal watch’ list: Bond rating company puts district’s ‘A+’ score in danger
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on June 3, 2009 at 7:17 amFrom the Antelope Valley Press:
A bond rating company recently put Palmdale Water District’s revenue certificates of participation on a Rating Watch Negative.
Until this year, the water district maintained an “A+” rating, placing it in the upper medium grade for determining the interest rate it would pay on bonds and whether it would even qualify to float a bond. Credit industry experts consider an “A+” rating as a fairly high score, meaning a lower interest rate would be charged for money borrowed. Although Fitch Ratings did not lower that “A+” rating at this time, putting the water district on a Watch Negative, in effect, is a warning.
The water district “could be downgraded in the next couple of months,” said Cindy Stoller, director of Corporate Communications for Fitch Ratings at the company headquarters in New York.
Fitch is one of three leading agencies, along with Moody’s Corp. and Standard & Poor’s, that analyze credit risks and basically grade government entities. The Fitch analysis resulted from concern about cash deficits at the water district – what the rating company described as a “sharp drop in liquidity” this past year as well as a lawsuit filed against the water district by Palmdale. A court hearing is scheduled for June 8, with the city seeking a preliminary injunction against the recent rate hike approved by the water district board in a 3-2 vote during a public hearing on May 13.
Read more from the Antelope Valley Press by clicking here.
Figueroa, the maverick voice of the Palmdale Water District
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on June 1, 2009 at 6:06 amFrom the Antelope Valley Press, this last installment in a series of articles profiling Palmdale Water District board members:
In the 5½ years since Palmdale Water District Division 4 Director Raul Figueroa first won a seat on the board, he has witnessed various changes – some he approved and others he opposed, including the recent rate hike.
In particular, Figueroa fought a decision by a board majority of Jeff Storm, Dick Wells and Dave Gomez in December 2007 to place longtime General Manager Dennis LaMoreaux, a staffer for nearly 20 years, on paid administrative leave and then force his resignation. As a newcomer to political races in November 2003, Figueroa defeated incumbent Lynn Coffey who was running for a third term.
His community involvement began when he joined forces with a group of residents who blocked development of a proposed apartment building on the city’s east side. He also served as co-chairman of the city’s parks bond committee, and sat on the citizens oversight committee.
Figueroa, who was re-elected in November 2007, is the longest seated water district board member. His four-year term ends in December 2011.
But, it’s his post on the water board where Figueroa has shown the most fortitude, often being the lone voice against the practices of his colleagues and frequently the only vote to oppose board majority actions that he contends do not benefit the agency’s ratepayers.
Read more from the Antelope Valley Press by clicking here.
Palmdale Water District board member Linda Godin part of rate hike majority
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on May 31, 2009 at 6:53 amFrom the Antelope Valley Press, the next installment in a series of articles profiling each member of the Palmdale Water District board of directors. Today, it’s Linda Godin:
As a volunteer or an elected official, Palmdale Water District Division 3 Director Linda Godin views public service as the foundation that supports communities.
As a single mom who raised two sons, that’s a belief she hopes they buy into and follow. Her oldest son BJ attends Antelope Valley College, and his younger brother Nick just graduated from Littlerock High School with plans to study civil engineering at California Polytechnic, Pomona.
Godin, an account manager at Lamar Outdoor Advertising, was appointed to the water board in November 2006 to fill the seat vacated by former Director Sheryl Sarna, who moved out of the district. She was elected to a full four-year term in November 2007, and her term expires in December 2011.
Godin was part of the majority in the 3-2 vote May 13 for a rate hike that will boost some customers’ bills 65% and others more than 140% for the last seven months in 2009, followed by another increase in January.
Despite 2,122 letters from property owners protesting the raise and an outcry from more than 200 water district customers who packed the board room and spilled into the lobby and an outside yard, Godin, Jeff Storm and Dick Wells voted for the increase, with Raul Figueroa and Dave Gomez voting “no.”
Read more of this article, which includes analysis of the dinner tabs of Washington DC restaurants on a recent trip, by clicking here.
Palmdale Water District workers, salaries on the chopping block
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on May 30, 2009 at 7:28 amFrom the Antelope Valley Press:
An e-mail to employees of the Palmdale Water District from General Manager Randy Hill warned of possible layoffs as early as August unless the agency’s financial situation improves.
Employees received the notice when they arrived at work Wednesday morning, with the subject line stating “Serious issues now facing the PWD.” In the e-mail, Hill stated he wanted to update all employees, though he emphasized that nothing has been decided yet. A list of options will be reviewed and discussed with the board of directors, possibly at the June 10 board meeting.
“The city has now filed several legal actions against the PWD and is seeking to prevent our new rates from going into (effect), and to stop us from moving forward with our long-term borrowing through issuing municipal bonds,” Hill wrote, in reference to an injunction Palmdale city attorneys are seeking in Los Angeles County Superior Court, with a hearing date set for June 8.
“Although the board approved a new rate increase, the immediate cash flow we need from borrowing is hampered by city litigation,” Hill stated.
Read more from the Antelope Valley Press by clicking here.
Palmdale Water District director known for travel
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on May 30, 2009 at 7:26 amThe Antelope Valley Press continues it’s profiles of Palmdale Water District board members with this article on Dave Gomez:
Airports have become a familiar backdrop for Palmdale Water District Division 5 Director Dave Gomez – a man always on the move.
Gomez won his seat in the November 2005 election when he ran against incumbent Nolan Negaard, a retired teacher who served on the water district board from 1989 through 2005. Since taking over that seat, Gomez has traveled to Sacramento repeatedly for meetings with the California Special Districts Association; to the nation’s capital for conferences organized by the Association of California Water Agencies; and to other venues where seminars take place – all in the name of water district business.
His spending for travel expenses from January through December 2008, including airfare, conference registration fees, hotel stays and meals, plus directors’ meeting stipends, totaled at least $11,844, based on PWD documents obtained by the Antelope Valley Press through a public records request.
Although he has reduced his meeting and travel spending compared to past years, such as 2006, when he exceeded his allocated budget by $10,294, customers have questioned money spent on steak dinners that cost in the neighborhood of $50 or $60 at a time when the water district claims to be running out of funds and has raised some customers’ rates between 65% and more than 140%.
The May 13 board vote of 3-2 in favor of the rate hike had directors Jeff Storm, Dick Wells and Linda Godin voting “yes,” while Gomez and Raul Figueroa opposed the motion.
However, a campaign mailer sent out by Gomez before the hearing, captured attention when it stated he voted against the increase. At a board meeting in which adoption of the new water budget rate structure took place, he voted “no.” At the public hearing to pass the new rates, he voted “no.” But at the financial committee meeting – a two-member team of Gomez and Wells – the two concurred in favor of bringing the new rate model before the full board for approval, according to meeting minutes. When questioned about that, Gomez sat silent.
Read more from the Antelope Valley Press by clicking here.
After Palmdale Water District passes largest rate increase in recent history, AV Press profiles the board of directors
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on May 29, 2009 at 7:24 amFrom the Antelope Valley Press, two stories in a series (likely to be more) that profiles the board members after the vote for the recent increase in water fees by the Palmdale Water District. From the first article:
EDITOR’S NOTE: Palmdale Water District directors in recent days passed the district’s largest rate increase in recent history. The rate increase is being challenged in court by the city, alleging that the water district violated state law in how it notified customers about the proposal. Starting today, this series profiles the district’s five board members and discusses what their vote was in passing the increase.
Palmdale Water District board president Jeff Storm was appointed once, defeated once and elected once to the water board. He was one of three board members who on May 13 voted for a rate hike that will boost some customers’ bills 65% and others more than 140% for the last seven months in 2009, followed by another increase in January.
Water district General Manager Randy Hill justified the hike as necessary, claiming that without this increase the water district – which supplies water to roughly 27,000 customers in an area stretching from roughly Avenue P on the north to south of Avenue S, and from the Ana Verde tract on the west side to Palmdale’s east side – will run out of money by the end of July, won’t be able to pay its bills, might have to lay off employees and possibly even file bankruptcy.
Despite opposition by more than 200 customers who packed the water district’s board room and spilled into the lobby and an outside yard, directors voted for the increase 3-2, with Raul Figueroa and Dave Gomez voting “no.”
Read more of this first story, which profiles Palmdale Water District board president Jeff Storm, from the Antelope Valley Press by clicking here.
The second story from the Antelope Valley Press profiles
Retired firefighter Dick Wells ignited controversy as a member of the Palmdale Water District board, especially on spending agency funds for travel and directors’ meeting fees.
Analysis of the water board’s spending practices from January through December 2008 shows that Wells topped the other four directors with expenses for travel, meals and meeting stipends totaling $17,484 for the year, based on reports the Antelope Valley Press secured through a public records request.
Wells, the PWD Division 2 director, won a water board seat in November 2005 with the endorsement of Palmdale Mayor Jim Ledford when Wells challenged incumbent Ron Cunningham.
Wells’ four-year term will end in December 2009, and he has not yet declared whether he will run for re-election in November. If he chooses to run, it will come after a rate hike that drove some water bills up by 65%, with other customers charged more than 140% higher than they paid prior to the increase.
Wells voted for the increase at a May 13 public hearing along with board members Jeff Storm and Linda Godin despite 2,122 letters protesting the raise and an outcry from more than 200 water district customers who packed the board room.
Read more of this story from the Antelope Valley Press by clicking here.
Palmdale Water District rates soar despite protests; Lawsuit seeks judgment against increase
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on May 16, 2009 at 9:32 amFrom the Antelope Valley Press:
Water costs shot up for customers of the Palmdale Water District on Thursday. Directors approved the increase with a 3-2 vote. They did so despite the pleas, reasoning and protests from a crowd of more than 200 angry customers that filled the district board room, spilled into the lobby and out to a side yard during a public hearing Wednesday night.
Board President Jeff Storm voted with directors Dick Wells and Linda Godin to approve the rate hike they said was needed to fend off bankruptcy of the district. Board members Raul Figueroa and Dave Gomez opposed the action. An offer from Palmdale Assistant City Attorney Judy Skousen proposing to drop a city lawsuit against the district if the board voted “no” failed to sway the board majority.
A court hearing is set for 9:30 a.m. June 8 at the Antelope Valley Courthouse to seek a preliminary injunction against the increase.
Read more from the Antelope Valley Press by clicking here.
Water rate protest: Palmdale Water District meeting draws more people than boardroom can hold
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on May 15, 2009 at 6:40 amFrom the Antelope Valley Press:
Hundreds of people turned out Wednesday night for a protest hearing on Palmdale Water District officials’ plan to raise customers’ water bills in a multi-tiered rate structure that increases prices as customers use more water.
Filling the boardroom and overflowing into the lobby and out a side door, water district customers and others criticized the rate increase that would boost the basic monthly meter charge more than 100% this year and another 55% within five years. In addition, the rate increase would boost consumption charges by up to 289% by 2014.
Past 10 p.m., the meeting continued with speakers registering protests. Protest forms filled out by ratepayers had yet to be counted, and the board had yet to vote on whether it would approve the rate increase.
Just before a moment of silence after the flag salute, resident Marta Kester said, “I need to pray they don’t get run out of town on a rail.”
So many people packed the 163-person-capacity boardroom at the start of the hearing that a Los Angeles County Fire Department official interrupted a presentation by water district General Manager Randy Hill to say some of the spectators had to move outside.
Read more from the Antelope Valley Press by clicking here.
Palmdale Water District campaign mailer sends mixed message
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on May 14, 2009 at 7:47 amFrom the Antelope Valley Press:
An election mailer sent out by Palmdale Water District Director David Gomez states he voted “no” on a proposed water rate structure increase, but the formal vote hasn’t happened yet.
Gomez’ flier arrived in some Palmdale residents’ mailboxes Monday, two days before the meeting where the board vote will take place. Directors are expected to vote for or against the rate hike during a public hearing at 7 p.m. tonight at the agency offices, 2029 East Avenue Q, Palmdale.
“Please join me at the public hearing to express your opinion,” the PWD Division 5 candidate stated. “David Gomez voted no on Palmdale Water Rate Structure Increase. You should do the same,” the mailer continued. Gomez did vote “no” in March on adopting a new tiered rate model patterned after a structure implemented by the Irvine Ranch Water District.
The mailer says Gomez pledges to support a “realistic” rate structure, but he has offered no alternatives to the rate proposal being considered tonight.
Read more from the Antelope Valley Press by clicking here.
Palmdale Water District to ‘clarify’ rate hikes at special meeting
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on May 12, 2009 at 6:26 amFrom the Antelope Valley Press:
Palmdale Water District board President Jeff Storm said he wanted to clarify why the agency needs a substantial water rate hike now, and he called for a special meeting to discuss the issue. “We’ve done everything we can to try and explain the rate changes,” Storm said more than a week ago, during a session when the board adopted new division boundary lines. “We haven’t done a good enough job. We’ll try to do better.”
He set the special meeting for 7 p.m. tonight at the water district offices, 2029 East Ave. Q.
Storm said the point of tonight’s meeting is to inform district customers about the agency’s budget, and to show where cuts have been made. “There’s a lot of false information out there,” Storm contended. He said he wanted the special meeting prior to the public hearing for the proposed rate increase scheduled on Wednesday night.
Read more from the Antelope Valley Press by clicking here.
California City’s water supply fine, for now
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on May 8, 2009 at 7:31 amFrom the Antelope Valley Press:
While the city appears to have an adequate water supply in the near term, it will have to move to create policies to secure that supply and guard against future raids on the underlying groundwater supply.
City counsel Wayne Lemieux on Tuesday outlined the need for such city policies and provided an overview of what they should contain for the City Council during its regular meeting. In doing so, he sought and received permission from the council to craft the necessary ordinance and bring it back to the council for approval.
“We have to protect our water,” Mayor Larry Adams said.
The local water supply already is the subject of interest for outside water agencies, Councilman Mike Edmiston said. “We need to protect ourselves. People have to be concerned that this possibility does exist,” he said.
City officials were briefed April 29 on a recently completed study of the city’s underlying water basin, its capacity and supplies. Forming policies to protect the water rights to that supply is the next step, Lemieux said.
The city has two sources of water – the Fremont Basin beneath the city and water from outside purveyors such as the Antelope Valley-East Kern Water Agency. “The two together are no longer as secure as they could be,” Lemieux said, and could be subject to raiding by outside users. “We’d like to help you get a control on that, to prevent that from happening,” he said.
Read more from the Antelope Valley Press by clicking here.
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