As part of Noozhawk’s Nov. 3 election coverage, we are publishing Q&As with board candidates for some special districts and education districts, including the Goleta Water District.
Two are appearing Thursday — Sheldon Bosio and Farfalla Borah — and the others will appear on Friday.
Candidate answers may have been lightly edited for spelling and formatting, but are otherwise presented as they were submitted.
The Goleta Water District is an independent special district governed by a five-member elected Board of Directors.
The general manager and staff members oversee day-to-day operations of the district, such as repairing and maintaining pipes, pumps, wells, water meters and other infrastructure; water quality testing; and customer service (billing, conservation, applications for new water meters).
Separate special districts oversee treatment of wastewater from the water district system: the Goleta Sanitary District and Goleta West Sanitary District.
Goleta Water District board members approve the district budget, including maintenance and capital improvement projects, approve water rates and charges, and are in charge of policy decisions like water supply planning and conservation strategies.
Recent board policy and budget decisions include: approving large, multi-year rate increases for residential and non-residential water customers; updating a permit to sell recycled water to interested agricultural customers; and saying no to the state’s proposed water tunnel project, along with several other local water agencies.
Candidate Sheldon Bosio
Noozhawk: Why are you running for the Goleta Water District Board of Directors?
Sheldon Bosio: I am running to represent all the Goleta Water District (GWD) customers, which include the residential communities, local businesses, and agricultural operations. Utility companies have the tendency to always pass their financial problems onto customers by raising rates to help cover operational costs.
As customers, we have no choice but to abide. The Goleta Valley residents should not be held liable for the mismanaged funds of the GWD.
When the manager of the GWD makes over $300,000 with benefits, it is hard to justify such drastic rate increases. Will these “new funds” be put to repairs and infrastructure improvements? Or are they necessary to continue making payroll, benefit packages, and retirement pensions?
I am running to be a voice of reason when dealing with these issues.
Noozhawk: What personal and/or work experience would you bring to the organization?
Bosio: I graduated from California Polytechnic State University with a BS in Agricultural Business. This college experience has enabled me to feel confident in taking on such
an endeavor.
Furthermore, I run the irrigation for my family’s agricultural operation. I am well versed on topics such as water storage, the cost of pumping water, pipe flow rate capacities,
evaporation, gravity flow water systems, and water pressure.
At the end of the day, the concept of water delivery remains the same. How do you move water from point A to B
in the most efficient way possible? I am a quick study, and knowledge can always be attained.
Noozhawk: What do you see as the top issue facing the district right now, and how would you address it?
Bosio: The GWD has many current issues it is facing. Mainly, the finances. Our community did a fantastic job during the drought years conserving water under state and local
recommendations. The problem, however, is the district makes money by selling water.
Water rates are the ultimate tool to control water usage. It can be argued that with this five-year rate increase plan, even less water will be used, generating equivalent or less in revenues. We need a rate system that corresponds with our water supply.
The 75-year old failing infrastructure is of great concern. Patching leaks and mainline breaks are not a long-term solution to the reliable delivery of water to the Goleta Valley.
A more aggressive replacement plan is necessary and should be implemented with more urgency. We need to replace miles and miles of old deteriorating mainlines.
Aside from water, the GWD will soon be divided into five sub-districts for election purposes, with each sub-district electing one Director to make up the five-director Board.
The Board of Directors at year’s end will be the ones in charge of approving where these district voting lines are drawn.
There needs to be transparency and fairness through this process.
Noozhawk: The current Board of Directors recently approved water rate increases of 11 percent this year, 9 percent in 2022, 9 percent in 2023, and 9 percent in 2024.
Do you approve of the recent increases, and why?
Bosio: I do not approve the rate increases that have been put into motion. These rate increases were passed this past June, during the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic. We have a community that includes families living paycheck to paycheck, and any bill increase can lead to financial insecurity.
To put the burden of more expensive water onto these families was inconceivable during these times. The Board should have voted to delay the rate increases for a more appropriate time.
COVID-19 and timing aside, I still do not approve the rate increase. Over the next five years we will see quite a spike in water bills. As consumers, it is hard to believe these
rates will be used for infrastructure improvements.
If the past predicts the future, looking at the 2019-2020 budget, capital improvements only accounted for 6.1% of expenditures. Meanwhile, operational and administrative costs made up 48.7% of expenditures.
Noozhawk: How do you think the agency handled the financial and water supply challenges of the drought?
Bosio: The GWD got us through the drought without ever cutting water deliveries. Regeneration of wells and pump stations allowed for continued water use.
Although, it came at a cost a cost to its consumers. During this time, the GWD was putting about $1 million a month into its reserve funding. Of which, little is left to show.
Click here to read more stories in the Noozhawk Election 2020 section.
Noozhawk has published election Q&As with other Goleta Water District board candidates including:
