Yorba Linda Water District customers use more water than expected for 2017-18 fiscal year

Water usage in the Yorba Linda Water District's 22.6-square-mile service area with nearly 80,000 residents jumped 14 percent by the end of the 2017-18 fiscal year over the amount used the prior year.

And that annual consumption was 6 percent greater than the 8 percent increase that had been predicted, according to a staff-prepared 136-page Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, which was reviewed by the district's five elected directors earlier this month.

The district serves most of Yorba Linda and parts of Placentia, Brea and Anaheim, with some 25,040 water and 19,191 sewer connections. Revenues and expenses for the just-completed fiscal year were $37.9 million, with revenues up 7.8 percent and expenses up 7.5 percent.

Water use for the year was 20,386 acre-feet. One acre-foot is equivalent to 325,851 gallons, so customers used more than 6.6 trillion gallons during the year. Seventy percent was from the north county's groundwater basin and 30 percent was from imported sources.

During the current fiscal year, the district expects to use more water from the basin, which is less expensive than imported water. The report noted: “Future financial challenges are likely

to be due to increasing regulatory requirements at both the state and federal levels.”

The statewide executive order “Making Conservation a California Way of Life” will provide a framework for district planning during the current fiscal year that includes “using water more wisely,” “eliminating water waste” and “strengthening local drought resiliency.”

Other report items:

--The district's 25,040 water connections include 23,055 for single-family homes, 256 for multi-family residences, 821 for commercial/industrial and 908 for irrigation. The first two are all-time highs, while the latter two are down from 2012-13 highs.

Residential makes up 92 percent of the customer base, using 73 percent of district water.

--The largest water user is the city of Yorba Linda, which paid a near $2.5 million bill in 2017-18. Next was the Placentia-Yorba Linda school district, paying close to $380,000. Six home-owners associations were in the top 10, along with Aseptic Technology and Placentia-Linda Hospital.

--One comment in an auditors section regarding compliance with bond requirements noted the district didn't obtain an arbitrage report related to one series of revenue bonds that was required within 55 days of an Oct. 1, 2017, bond year-end.

The auditors recommended the district implement procedures to ensure compliance with bond requirements. The district reported completing the requirement Sept. 12, 2018, and added the requirement to an internal reporting schedule “to ensure future compliance.”

--The district's 2016-17 financial reporting garnered a Certificate for Achievement in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association, which district officials hope to also earn for this year's document.

Pay raises approved for Yorba Linda city employees in new three-year contract

New employment contracts and salary increases for some 100 Yorba Linda city employees received unanimous approval by City Council members in a recent “consent calendar” vote.

A “consent calendar” bundles normally routine items on the council's meeting agenda for a single up or down vote. The Oct. 2 consent calendar contained nine items that also included adopting previous meeting minutes, receiving regular reports and reviewing billing payments.

Three-year contracts with salary hikes for each of the three years for miscellaneous, mid-management and management employees replace two-year pacts that expired Sept. 30.

An amendment to the contract for City Manager Mark Pulone, hired in 2013, extends his employment for five years, through Oct. 1, 2023. His yearly salary increases 2.5 percent ($6,025) to $247,047.

Contracts for general (miscellaneous) city workers, covering 67 job titles, and for mid-management employees, affecting 27 positions, include 7 percent pay increases over three years, 2 percent this year and 2.5 percent for each of the following two years.

These employees also receive a boost in deferred compensation, with the city matching up to $50 more monthly.

Management level positions earn a 2.5 percent increase this year and for each of the next two years but not the added deferred compensation match. These are the assistant city manager and community development, finance, library, parks and recreation and public works directors.

This year's pay scale for general employees, beginning Oct. 1, includes five annual steps and ranges from $3,063 to $8,905 monthly, climbing to $3,218 to $9,355 at contract's end by 2021.

This year's pay scale for mid-management, beginning Oct.1, includes five annual steps and ranges from $5,212 to $13,230 monthly, climbing to $5,475 to $13,899 at end of the contract.

And this year's pay scale for the management staff, beginning Oct. 1, including the five annual steps, ranges from $11,672 to $17,146 monthly, climbing to $12,263 to $18,014.

Total costs for the new contracts are estimated at $220,000 this year, $193,000 next year and $196,000 the year after, with 80 percent paid from the city's general fund, 15 percent from library funds and 5 percent from the Landscape Maintenance Assessment District, noted a report by Assistant City Manager Dave Christian.

And in another salary matter, Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District trustees have increased the hourly pay for individuals called in as substitutes for secretaries and clerks.

The district has had a shortage of substitute secretaries and clerks because they have been paid $4 less per hour than the surrounding district average, according to a report to trustees from Martha Suarez, administrative secretary for human resources..

The new hourly pay is $21.75 for substitute secretaries and $16.16 for substitute clerks, up from the previous $14 for secretaries and $11 for clerks.

Contentious race shaping up to replace Ed Royce in Congress: Democrat Cisneros versus GOP Kim

Easily the most contentious contest for North Orange County voters is the race to replace Ed Royce, who is retiring after 26 years in Congress, as measured by the large number of attack ads airing on television, appearing in mailboxes and hand-delivered by paid precinct walkers.

The negative commercials, mailings and handbills seem to outnumber positive advertising for the candidates, Republican Young Kim and Democrat Gil Cisneros, with funding for “hit pieces” coming from each campaign, party organizations and independent committees.

The 39^th District seat in contention represents all or parts of Anaheim Hills, Brea, Buena Park, Fullerton, La Habra, Placentia and Yorba Linda in Orange County and eight cities in east Los Angeles County and southwest San Bernardino County.

Kim has held public office once, serving two years in the state Assembly representing Buena Park, Fullerton, La Palma and four other cities. After beating incumbent Sharon Quirk-Silva in 2014, she lost to her in 2016. Kim was a Royce staff member, and he has endorsed her.

Cisneros hasn't held public office. He used a portion of $266 million in 2010 lottery winnings to start a foundation to help students attend college. He served as lieutenant commander in the Navy, and he has been endorsed by former President Barack Obama.

Several groups tracking this year's midterm elections rate the race as a “toss-up,” so local voters will play a large role in deciding which party controls the House of Representatives.

In handicapping the race, consider the following:

--At last count, the district had 354,652 registered voters, 216,771 in Orange County, 99,840 in Los Angeles County and 38,041 in San Bernardino County. The breakdown: 35.11 percent Republican, 34.25 percent Democratic and the balance no party preference or minor parties.

The race/ethnic breakdown is 34.1 percent white, 32.6 percent Hispanic, 28.5 percent Asian, 2.3 percent black and 2.5 percent other.

--In the 2016 presidential contest, district voters cast 140,230 ballots for Hillary Clinton and 116,782 for Donald Trump. Clinton won in all three counties, 51.5 to 42.9 percent. Mitt Romney won the district in 2012 by a 3.7 percent margin.

--Seventeen candidates competed in the June 5 primary for the seat. Kim topped the field with 30,019 votes to runner-up Cisneros' 27,469 votes. Seven Republicans received a total 75,430 votes and six Democrats 63,248 votes. Four other candidates totaled 2,458 votes.

Certainly, turnout for the Nov. 6 general election will be higher. In the 2016 presidential primary,140,555 votes were cast, but 263,456 were cast in November. In the 2014 midterm primary, 69,551 votes were cast, but 133,225 were cast in November.

Reminder: Last day to register to vote is Oct. 22 (can be completed on-line at ocvote.com). Mail ballots can be left at any precinct Nov. 6. If mailed, they must be postmarked by Nov. 6 but can arrive by Nov. 9.

Some incumbents won't appear on ballot because nobody filed to run against them; they've already 'won' in north Orange County elections

Even before North Orange County voters began marking their mail-in ballots and long in advance of precincts opening for the Nov. 6 election, 24 local incumbents have won their contests because they didn't draw opponents during the four-week summer filing period.

Names of these incumbents will not appear on north county ballots, since no petitions were submitted requesting an election be held for the offices that had no challengers. Each of the incumbents who did file for re-election will be appointed to new terms that start in December.

The canceled contests are in seven elementary school districts, two unified school districts, one community college district and a library district serving all or parts of Brea, Buena Park, Fullerton, La Habra, La Palma, Placentia and Yorba Linda.

Winning incumbents with no opposition in elementary districts are Sam Van Hamblen and Rochelle Smith in Buena Park; Henry Charoen, Art Montez and Connor Traut in Centralia; and Sandra Lee, Donna McDougall and Lydia Sandhi in Cypress.

Others are Chris Thompson in Fullerton; Cynthia Aguirre, Ofelia Hanson and Ida MacMurray in La Habra City; Anastasia Shackelford in Lowell Joint; and Barbara Quintana, Gary Shields and Esther Wallace in Magnolia.

Returning incumbents in unified districts are Nicole Colon and Carrie Flanders in Brea Olinda and Carrie Buck and Karin Freeman in Placentia-Yorba Linda. Returning in the North Orange County Community College District are Steve Blount and Barbara Dunsheath.

And taking new terms as Placentia Library District trustees are Jo-Anne Martin and Al Shkoler.

Among other election-related items:

--Last day to register to vote is Oct. 22. Registrations are taken at city halls or at the Registrar of Voters office, 1300 S. Grand Ave., Building C, Santa Ana. New citizens can register through Nov. 6 at the Santa Ana office, along with special-circumstance “conditional” registrations.

Residents can also register, change party, address or name on-line at ocvote.com. Click on “registration” for the options, including one allowing voters to verity their current registration. Vote-by-mail applications are available from the registrar's office Oct. 9-30.

The registrar begins processing vote-by-mail ballots Oct. 23, but results aren't released until Nov. 6. Go to ocvote.com and click on “results” after 8 p.m. to check hourly updates of tallies.

--Deadline to register write-in candidacies is Oct. 23 at the registrar's office. Write-ins can only be cast for non-partisan contests that were not voter-nominated offices in the June 5 primary. Votes cast for write-in candidates won't be counted for non-registered individuals.

--A CD of permanent vote-by-mail voters who have been issued a vote-by-mail ballot can be purchased from the registrar's office Oct. 6 through Nov. 6. Candidates and committees use this data to contact voters by mail or phone to make sure they've returned their ballots.