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Carpinteria Water District Approves Rate Increases
After weeks of contentious debate, the Carpinteria Water District Board voted unanimously to approve rate increases, much to the chagrin of customers present at Wednesday night’s meeting.
In the early 1990s, the district purchased an excess of water from the state, and the problem was compounded as plans to sell the water fell through. Aging infrastructure also compounds the district’s costs.
The district is facing a series of challenges, said Norma Rosales, the district’s business manager. Increased water treatment costs associated with the Zaca Fire, a failed water deal with oil company Plains Exploration Petroleum and increasing personnel costs were all part of the problem, she said.
Even after cost-cutting measures were put toward each of those items, a deficit of $390,000 still exists, she said.
Carpinteria resident Brian Nash said he was concerned about how a rate increase looked at a time when money is tight for everyone. “Everybody out there is fighting to make a living these days,” he said. “I really think right now you could probably dig into your budget, find $390,000 and forgo a rate increase this year.”
The water rate increase is a fixed percentage for all municipal, industrial, commercial and residential uses. In addition, the cost to offset the loss from the PXP offer is also a 3 percent increase. Overall, most customers can expect an increase of 1.9 percent for the lowest users to 2.9 percent for the highest, district staff member Alex Keuper said.
Board member Matthew Roberts was the lone voice of dissent. He said he felt that the board was responsive last year to concerns about rate increases. He said the staff analyzed the rates, and that water rates were actually reduced for lower water users. About 2,700 master water meters, which supply water to apartment buildings and motor homes, saw a rate reduction of 11 percent, Keuper said.
“Obviously, the water district can’t reduce the rates for everybody and make our budget whole,” he said, and noted that people who consumed more water saw their prices increase as a result. After his comments, however, Roberts changed his vote to maintain accord on the dais.
Several speakers encouraged the board to deny the rate increases as an olive branch to the community.
“We need to turn around the relationship between the community and the board,” resident Ann Bardach said. She recommended a series of measures the board could take to cut back as an alternative to the increases, including combining with the Montecito Water District, seeking cheaper legal counsel and even cutting back on health benefits for board members.
Resident Carl Stucky said that because many businesses are cutting back, he found it hard to believe the district couldn’t find $200,000, which would represent about 2 percent of the district’s budget. “The difference I think is that we have a public agency that has captive ratepayers,” he said.
Board President Frederick Lemere took issue with Stucky’s statement, however, and said the board has been working since November to trim costs.
“There’s been considerable effort made to reduce and whittle down the dollars involved,” he said. The system is extremely vulnerable, he said, and if a significant event such as an earthquake were to hit the city and destroy some of the infrastructure, costs would be significant.
— Noozhawk staff writer Lara Cooper can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Comments
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» on 06.04.09 @ 04:32 AM
These complainers ought to move to where water is cheap or stop crying.
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» on 06.04.09 @ 07:36 AM
This is the same bunch of complainers that have been playing this old tune for years now. It’s all the water attorney’s fault! It’s the board’s fault! Surely, it’s not the community’s fault for voting for state water in the first place?
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» on 06.04.09 @ 10:56 AM
“Mike” is right. There’s this conservative myth that “taxes” and “services” are too high
in California. People should read the LA Times’ Hiltzik demolish that myth with actual
data.
Almost 150 years ago, Mark Twain wrote that “in California, whiskey’s for drinking,
and water’s for fighting over.” It hasn’t much changed since then.
Most folks could live happily for a good long time without a split-level house or a
fancy new car. But most folks would die within 3 days if they didn’t have potable
water.
The purpose of water districts is to supply the healthiest, more reliable long-term
water supply to customers at the best reasonable price. That’s what Carp’s trying to
do.
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» on 06.04.09 @ 03:18 PM
i watched some of these whiners on the cable broadcast of this mtg last night. unbelievable. If we opened the bank accounts of these “poor folk” we’d find just what a rate of profit they and their businesses have enjoyed in the land of milk ‘n’ honey over the past several years. and they whine about a rate hike?
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» on 06.05.09 @ 03:47 AM
Yes raise rates in the middle of a recession. I suggest Publius and the rest of you, who are so enamored with giving up your money to government agencies, volunteer to pay twice what you owe and show all us redneck anti government types what solid citizens you are. What a load of crap. Publius, I know you are a left winger so stick a crow bar in your wallet and fork it over jack ass. I get real sick of sniveling socialist complaining we don’t pay enough to the government. Screw you pal, pay it yourself if you think it’s such a hot idea. Personally I’d rather starve government half to death and weed out all the crap and corruption that entrenched bureaucracies tend to collect when the “whiners” don’t hold them accountable for every penny the spend. As for Carp, yah they are probably in a bind, but guess what, so is everyone else and the private sector just can’t go out and beat the starving public for more money when things are tight. Suck it up Carp and try to get by on less like the rest of us.
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» on 06.05.09 @ 10:44 AM
They are overstaffed, and all over-paid—as we all know..
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» on 06.07.09 @ 08:41 AM
I would venture to guess that those who would label us “whiners” don’t actually live under the jurisdiction of the Carp water district. Were they customers they would realize that no matter what any person’s bank account balance it is never palatable to throw good money after bad. Carp water district is poorly run and managed they have made poor decisions that have led to bad deals and have passed the burden of those mistakes on to the customer in the form of rate increases. All the while board members and employees whose decisions contributed to the current situation enjoy consistent employment and benefits. I love government when it is run correctly. Just as I enjoy investing in private business when it is run correctly and profitably. When my investment is being squandered I have to take issue. That isn’t “whining” that is common sense. When I open my water bill every month and see that I owe nearly 200 dollars before even one drop of water is factored in to the equation something is wrong. I have lived in SB.. I have lived under the montecito water district. Those bills never included nearly 200 dollars worth of administrative costs. Carp stands alone in that category and that can only be attributed to poor management. I would encourage all those who regard people that don’t want to throw money at any government agency just because they say we should to come and move to Carpinteria and begin paying for Carp Water district water on a monthly basis. Then we’ll see who will be front and center at the next rate increase meeting lauding the wisdom of such a proposal.
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