The Cambrians for a Fiscally Responsible CCSD began meeting at Moonstone Beach Bar and Grill in September 2007, just after the Cambria Community Services District (CCSD) proposed a rate hike and sent a letter to all ratepayers. Over the next six weeks, the number of people volunteering to help fight the new rate structure grew. The Discussion and organizing of who would lick envelopes and who would make phone calls and such was more often punctuated with questions we couldn’t answer:
If the CCSD was in such dire straights, why had it been 15 years since the last increase? How much does it really cost them to deliver water and takeaway and treat the wastewater? Should business ratepayers be held to a different rate structure than residential? And what about the water shortage and the extreme surcharges? Just what does the CCSD need so much money for, seemingly all of a sudden? Would revenue from water bills be paying for the water system infrastructure or the Build Out Reduction Plan? Do the rates really need to be this high?
Still, we kept our heads down, for the most part, and focussed on stopping the new rates. In the end, two League of Women Voters members validated 2266 protest letters – greater than the 50% plus one required by Prop 218. And the end, it turned out, was not the end.
Locals continued to meet each week, wanting to ensure the hard won protest wasn’t is vain. Over the six or seven weeks of the protest campaign, it became increasingly obvious that rates needed to go up. We started looking at what the basis for the rates should be. Like anything involving government regulations and bureaucracy, determining the basis was (and still is) a very complex beast. Guided by the CCSD’s Water Master Plan, the Black and Veatch Rates study, Budget reports from the CCSD and professional experience, the group set to work preparing to participate in the development of a realistic budget and rate structure. Of course, nothing in “real life” is isolated. The financial needs of the CCSD depend on the policies and planning the board gives to the general manager to implement and policies are highlighted and detailed in the urban water management plan and the water master plan, which we have also been studying.
But in order for us to collaborate and participate, we have to let CCSD know we want to be included in these processes. To that end, we have requested time on the January meeting agenda. That meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, January 22 at 12:30pm at the Cambria Vet’s Hall.
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Last 5 posts by Amanda Rice
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Quote: “Just what does the CCSD need so much money for, seemingly all of a sudden? ”
I have that same question. And when I see a CCSD pick up truck hauling what looks like lawn furniture on Sunday (like I did this AM on my way to work), or when I have seen a family of three driving through Cambria on a Sunday in a CCSD truck; I ask myself “Gee, am I paying for that guy to use a CCSD vehicle as a personal vehicle?”
I wonder how many vehicles are in the CCSD fleet for personal use?
And I also wonder, the next time I need a pickup to move some stuff, can I use the CCSD truck, too?
It’s not “all of a sudden”. Why are you all just paying attention “all of a sudden”? These issues have been dabated for years. I’ve been following it from afar, and most of you living there have never been heard from until now.
CCSD’s biggest mistake is waiting too long to do an increase. Any chance it’s because they were putting off dealing with the revolt they’re now dealing with?
Thanks, Mickie for the affirmation.
Wouldn’t the CCSD know if they condone personal use of CCSD vehicles? Shouldn’t they manage this? Some cheap GPS trackers on all the vehicles could easily remedy this problem if the CCSD does not condone this type of use. Otherwise, I have to assume CCSD does condone this use and should revise their policies and direction to “staff” if this is illegal activity.
I don’t have time to Narc the CCSD employees. That is the CCSD’s job. WE are already paying them to do this job.
You know, I am sorry that sounded a tad bratty. Observing and reporting is part of what this organization is about, it seems. So as a community member, if I see something “off” I will certainly observe and report and contribute to the efforts of Cambrians for a Better Community and CSD.
Maybe somebody should go search the homes of all CCSD staff members and make sure they haven’t absconded with any pens or pencils from the office.
You should also station a monitor in the office to make sure nobody uses the photocopier for personal projects, nobody makes any phone calls on company time, and coffeebreaks don’t run overtime.
At least you don’t have to worry about them abusing their CCSD cellphones.
Learn how to share and don’t play Don Quixote.
I would like to tell the bully to not tell me how to be, to stop criticizing public input (it discourages free expression) and that he should go get a life in his own town. If he cannot stop criticizing and antagonizing citizens comments and stick to expressing his own opinion or at the very least engage in constructive dialog, I would like to suggest that the bully be banned from commenting on the forum.
You could ban me, but then who would bring the sober voice of reality to this board?
In my last post I was expressing in a satirical way my opinion that your complaints about somebody hauling lawn furniture in a CCSD vehicle were petty.
Talk about getting a life…
Kinda funny actually now that I read it again. In one single post you lament the discouragement of free expression, then you call for the banishment of someone for simply disagreeing with you.