The Cambria CSD Board called a special meeting to consider a resolution approving a Geotechnical and Hydrogeologic Study at Santa Rosa Creek Beach and Directing Staff to File a Notice of Exemption (from CEQA requirements* see below). In spite of the short notice and light attendance, almost all of the thirteen Cambrians that spoke to the issue were on point and had thoughtful comments. AGP video, the company that usually records the CCSD meetings for broadcast, was not available on such short notice, so if you weren’t there, you’ll have to make a public records request to get a CD of the audio from the district.
After the general manager read the district engineer’s report aloud (download it at the CCSD website), a number of community members spoke. Their testimony provided the directors enough information that they took a ten minute break to read the submitted information before making a decision. President Sanders was in a huddle with the general manager and district council for much of that time. They then resumed the meeting to take a longer break and to allow the executive committee to confer with council.
When the meeting resumed at 2:45, President Sanders briefly explained that he thought a decision on filing a notice of exemption was premature and staff should undertake an initial study as required by CEQA to make a determination regarding the level of environmental study required for the test well project. The Board unanimously approved a motion to that effect. Today was one of those rare times when what the public says during the public testimony may have had a noticeable effect on the outcome of a decision.
Any of the comment makers could have influenced the directors, but if I had to guess, Lynn Harkins, Elizabeth Bettenhausen and Jim Webb’s comments provided the most food for thought. I’ve asked them to provcide their testimony to me so I can publish it here on AboutCambria.com so more Cambrians can here the information. As soon as I have the information, I’ll post it here.
If you have any information relevant to the testing well project or desalination, I encourage you to login and post it. (If you are new to AboutCambria.com, your entry will need manual approval before it will post, so don’t panic if it doesn’t show up right away). Be sure to keep the guidelines and standards of this site as you write. Contact me if you have any trouble or questions.
Last 5 posts by Amanda Rice
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