Tuesday’s CCSD Rates and Budget workshop served as a preview of what’s to come on the May 22 meeting when the Board will take up the issue of rates and the proposed two year budget. General Manager Tammy Rudock walked the group and the Board through a power point on her budget and the proposed rates. There were numerous mentions of how much time and energy she and Allan and the rest of the budget team had put into pulling the information together. What was missing, was the “work” of the Board and the community – in the form of changes and suggestions made. For the most part, that kind of “help” was not welcome. She said all the information she presented would be posted on the CCSD website in the next couple of days. I encourage you to keep an eye on that site for the details.
Although there are still sticking points and differences of opinion, the District is showing a certain degree of change. Transparency and accountability aren’t likely to happen overnight or easily. Open government is frustrating and difficult – especially for staff. But transparency is crucial to having an effective democracy where community input is the norm, rather than the exception. The CCSD is a government entity, not a private business. It is still required to be responsible and accountable to those who benefit from its activities.
On the positive side, change is happening. At a snails pace – but we’re talking government here…snail is rather quick. This was the first time since this General Manager has been in charge that the budget process has been so open and available to everyday Cambrians. Although we are far from a true participatory budget process, more is available than ever before. Tammy indicated that the CIPs were not usually broken down as they are now. And the methods of allocating the overhead are now more in line with how each staff member or particular equipment is used. I applaud Ms. Rudock for working to make it easier to understand where the money comes from and what she plans to spend it on.
Another positive: The CCSD is addressing the lack of policy governing personal use of CCSD vehicles. As mentioned a few months back on AboutCambria.com, the CCSD fleet seems to be used for more than just CCSD business, with some trucks going “home” to Templeton or Paso Robles each night and not having mileage logs on the trucks. According to the Board and Tammy, they are currently working on a policy. Director Funke-Bilu encouraged staff to take into account that Cambrians would rather on-call staff arrive to address an emergency a few minutes later than that they take their vehicle home with them.
In my humble opinion, it isn’t just the vehicle use policy that needs review, but the emergency response and on-call staff policies. Having the CCSD vehicle, equipped with everything that might be needed for a system repair, at their home to reduce response time is really only valid if the vehicle is in town. A 30-40 minute commute to the yard where the vehicle is stored would add, at most, 5 minutes to the response time. If the emergency repair is so urgent that 5 minutes tacked on to the commute makes a difference, perhaps that emergency should be addressed by staff who live in town. Jim Adams explained that this town has gotten used to the immediate response time of the utilities staff. And we do appreciate it. Certainly, if a fire hydrant is hemorrhaging or a sewer line has failed, no one would want to delay response by even five minutes. I can’t imagine that the 30 minute commute to town would be acceptable. In a serious emergency, the response should be to send someone who is in town to address the problem for the first 40 minutes – which gives the commuter time to drive into town, pick up their vehicle and relieve the local.
It’s not just response time that is at issue with the vehicles. Any staff member using a CCSD vehicle with CCSD gas (or diesel) to commute is essentially being compensated for living outside the community. As the price of gas (and diesel) creeps up, the cost to the district is even greater. Staff who live in Cambria aren’t seeing as much compensation, simply because they live in town. I think CCSD staff can live in whatever community they choose. But they must shoulder the cost of their commute, not Cambrians. Please note: I don’t think anyone would demand that life-saving emergency vehicles (ambulance or fire) be garaged here in town and “picked up” in emergency situations. One would hope these vehicles are closer by than over the hill when something happens. But if they aren’t, response time should not suffer a quick vehicle change on the way to a rescue.
I applaud the staff and board for recognizing and addressing the issue. It definitely won’t solve all the budget or management issues, but it is a step in the right direction.
Next time: More reactions from Cambrians on the Rates/Budget workshop.
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Last 5 posts by Amanda Rice
- Gail Robinette Chosen to Complete DeMicco's Term as CCSD Director on Unanimous Vote
- California Coastal Commission Unanimously Denied Army Corps Desal Tests
- Cambria CSD Agenda for November 27, 2011 Meeting Includes Water Conservation & New Tank Project
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I don’t know about you, but more of our friends and neighbors are having a hard financial time right now. I am in awe of these talented, well educated, and successful people who own their own businesses, and chose Cambria as a bright spot to land. I am now very worried about what the financial future will hold for all of us.
I am hearing more and more stories of hardship, of retailers not making the rent, of friends with medical care debt, and trouble paying children’s college tuitions or helping their PARENTS out with finances or trips to the doctor etc. These are not the stories of disadvantaged day laborers or low income people -these are the stories of my middle class friends. My friends are not going to restaurants as they cannot afford it anymore – my friends are not buying nice wines anymore – my friends are no longer inviting their relatives to come here this summer as they can’t afford to entertain them – my friends are not driving around to see the sites as the gas is too high – my friends are worried about their retirement.
When I hear these stories, and I sit there at the Vet’s Hall and try to grasp how much money has been spent and will be spent by the CSD, I am floored with the latest request to raise our rates 30% with absolutely no reductions in spending.
This is being proposed by the mostly out of town staff making inflated and guaranteed yearly salaries, and monthly living allowances and medical benefits and pensions. This additional money will help support the employees driving around in company cars one at a time, and the fire truck cruising around town, and the out of town lobbyists submitting their restaurant and hotel expenses for a new desal plant in Washington DC at our expense, and the out of town lawyers and consultants reaping the rewards of inattention. The concept of a rate increase with no cost cutting makes my blood boil. We are living in alternate realities- Cambria locals are paying the bills for the upper tier.
I want a CSD who spends money the way I spend money. First I try to identify what is really needed and essential. I don’t really buy things that aren’t essential. Then I try to buy it on sale or in quantity. I try to combine my trips to save time and money. I try to find the best product at the best price. I do without if it’s too much money and wait til the price is right. There is a lot of blame to go around for our inattention, but all in all, we need to be able to rely upon a CSD who will at the very least, try to do the right thing when we’re not looking.