Looking at the water district's future
City Council members are digging into a 40-page research paper before considering hiring experts to explore merging the independent Yorba Linda Water District with municipal government.
A colleague of City Attorney Sonia Carvalho in the city’s legal firm, Best, Best & Krieger, wrote the report, which Carvalho recommended reading so council would be “more aware and better understand the challenges and complexities” of merger issues.
Renewed calls for combining the water district with city services came in the wake of water supply problems associated with the tragic mid-November firestorm.
A publicly elected, five-member board of directors governs the district, which traces a history back to a mutual company formed in 1909. A total of 19 directors have served since the district’s creation in 1959, some for tenures up to 26 years each.
One longtime consolidation proponent was former Councilman Hank Wedaa, who often spoke for a merger during his 30 council years, including his final day in office last year.
The city successfully absorbed the once-independent Yorba Linda Library District in 1985, ending the agency’s 71 years of self-governance. But all five elected library trustees approved the merger, and city and library boundaries were nearly identical.
Water district directors strongly oppose merging, and the district’s 23-square mile service area includes 2,670 accounts in Placentia, 342 in Anaheim and 68 in Brea, along with the 20,554 in Yorba Linda.
Another issue involves the Golden State Water Company, which supplies some 400 acres of homes and businesses mostly east of Village Center Drive at considerably higher rates.
Two YLWD directors were re-elected to new four-year terms 11 days before the fire: Mike Beverage for a fifth term and Ric Collette for a second term. Directors Paul Armstrong, Bill Mills and John Summerfield, unopposed in 2006, serve until 2010.
According to finance reports filed by a Feb. 2 deadline, Collette loaned his campaign $30,560, received $1,000 in cash contributions and spent $9,630, as Beverage loaned $19,960, received $2,500 and spent $9,629.
Lone opponent Dave Rosenberger took in $5,468 cash and $1,950 in other donations, loaned his campaign $4,771 and spent $10,004.
A FINAL NOTE
The March issue of Reader’s Digest features an article about Blue Ridge Drive resident Jeff Reeves, a construction company owner who used his 2,250-gallon water truck to save neighborhood homes during the firestorm.
The article recounts how Reeves refilled his truck at fire hydrants 49 times during 19 straight hours, with help from Sam Easterday, who lost his home, and Randy Bremer.
A colleague of City Attorney Sonia Carvalho in the city’s legal firm, Best, Best & Krieger, wrote the report, which Carvalho recommended reading so council would be “more aware and better understand the challenges and complexities” of merger issues.
Renewed calls for combining the water district with city services came in the wake of water supply problems associated with the tragic mid-November firestorm.
A publicly elected, five-member board of directors governs the district, which traces a history back to a mutual company formed in 1909. A total of 19 directors have served since the district’s creation in 1959, some for tenures up to 26 years each.
One longtime consolidation proponent was former Councilman Hank Wedaa, who often spoke for a merger during his 30 council years, including his final day in office last year.
The city successfully absorbed the once-independent Yorba Linda Library District in 1985, ending the agency’s 71 years of self-governance. But all five elected library trustees approved the merger, and city and library boundaries were nearly identical.
Water district directors strongly oppose merging, and the district’s 23-square mile service area includes 2,670 accounts in Placentia, 342 in Anaheim and 68 in Brea, along with the 20,554 in Yorba Linda.
Another issue involves the Golden State Water Company, which supplies some 400 acres of homes and businesses mostly east of Village Center Drive at considerably higher rates.
Two YLWD directors were re-elected to new four-year terms 11 days before the fire: Mike Beverage for a fifth term and Ric Collette for a second term. Directors Paul Armstrong, Bill Mills and John Summerfield, unopposed in 2006, serve until 2010.
According to finance reports filed by a Feb. 2 deadline, Collette loaned his campaign $30,560, received $1,000 in cash contributions and spent $9,630, as Beverage loaned $19,960, received $2,500 and spent $9,629.
Lone opponent Dave Rosenberger took in $5,468 cash and $1,950 in other donations, loaned his campaign $4,771 and spent $10,004.
A FINAL NOTE
The March issue of Reader’s Digest features an article about Blue Ridge Drive resident Jeff Reeves, a construction company owner who used his 2,250-gallon water truck to save neighborhood homes during the firestorm.
The article recounts how Reeves refilled his truck at fire hydrants 49 times during 19 straight hours, with help from Sam Easterday, who lost his home, and Randy Bremer.
posted by Jim Drummond at 12:00 PM
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