Today’s CCSD meeting addressed quite a few important issues and the Board made some decisions that may affect all of us. I wasn’t able to get there until almost 2:15 – while they were finishing up the item to conduct Twelve Month Review by CCSD Board of Directors of Conditionally Approved Extension of Intent to Serve for Multi-Family Units, J E Lindsey, Applicant. They declined to extend the intent to serve to Mr. Lindsey as he hadn’t met all the conditions set a year ago by the CCSD. 18 multi-family meters taken out of the pipeline and placed on the wait-list for when the moratorium is lifted.
After a brief break, the next order of business was to Adopt Resolution 17-2008 Approving Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement between the Cambria Community Services District and the Cambria Community Healthcare District Creating the Cambria Coastal Public Safety Joint Powers Authority. District legal council Art Montandon recommended that they adopt the agreement in concept, but not in fact, so the CCHD and CCSD could work out the necessary details. A final agreement will be brought back to the board to approve next month or the month after.
What is a Joint Powers Authority, you ask? Why should I give a good gosh darn? Director Sanders’ answer was that they are trying to save the community some money and to move the ambulances closer to Highway One, to reduce response time.
“Joint powers” is a term used to describe government agencies that have agreed to combine their powers and resources to work on their common problems. Joint powers agreements (JPAs) offer another way for governments to deliver services, but sometimes the public does not understand JPAs.
The Senate Local Government Committee of the State of California put out an informational paper called “Governments Working Together A Citizen’s Guide to Joint Powers Agreements”. At just over 30 pages, this citizen’s guide explains JPAs, outlines their advantages and disadvantages, and describes how public officials use this special government arrangement to deliver better services and facilities. In addition to deciphering the world of JPAs, this guide provides a better understanding of how JPAs fit into local and state government operations. You can download it here here or from the Aboutcambria.com Library.
More on the rest of the meeting (mainly the discussion and questions about the budget) in my next post.
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Last 5 posts by Amanda Rice
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