About Cambria

From the Marin Voice about a week ago:

THE PEOPLE have spoken, and they want a say in whether to build a $400 million desalination plant in Marin.

The Coalition for the Public’s Right to Vote on Desalination has collected over 17,000 signatures in support of their initiative, which would require that the Marin Municipal Water District get a public vote before expending funds on a costly and questionable desalination plant.

The county Registrar of Voters is currently certifying the signatures, and if there are enough valid signatures, the measure will be on the November ballot.

Environmental and fiscal groups are united in support of this effort. The initiative was supported by the Marin Republicans and the Marin Democrats, as well as by the Surfrider Foundation and the Marin United Taxpayers Association.

Although the MMWD board members have voted unanimously to support the desal plant, they now have a chance to change course. They can issue a resolution stating that, before they start the building process and incur any further debt towards a desalination plant, they will put it to a public vote.

They can also vote to restart the Citizens Advisory Committee they have…

Read the full article here.

Or an article from the Contra Costa Times here.

Or the AP story in the San Francisco Chronicle here.

CCSD staff presented a draft budget to the Board at last month’s Cambria Community Services District meeting for the 2010-11 fiscal year. At this month’s meeting (Thursday June 24, 2010 at 12:30pm) the Board will consider adoption of the budget by resolution. A revised draft is expected in the next day or two, but in the meantime here are some of the highlights from the May 2010 draft.

The Cambria CSD has two primary income sources: Property Taxes and  Utility Sales. These are supplemented by a variety of fees, assessments, interest income, grant funds and other income sources. By state law, income from utility sales is restricted to covering expenditures in the water and wastewater departments. Property tax income is deposited to the General Fund where it is used to cover expenses for Fire, Parks and Recreation, Facilities and Resources, Administration and Resource Conservation department costs. Although General Fund monies can be used to cover costs of the water and/or wastewater departments, that practice is far from best management and recent Board policy is that General Fund money used for Water/Wastewater expenditures be accounted for as a loan that must be repaid.

I’ll leave the analysis and opinion to those of you with greater facility with numbers. What follows are charts showing the ratios of spending in various categories. The numbers are from the May 2010 proposed budget as entered into a spreadsheet and checked for accuracy. To view the spreadsheet used, click here.

Total Proposed Budget Expenditures (All Funds): $ 7,453,214.00

Total Proposed Employee Compensation, Payroll Taxes, Benefits, Allocated Personnel Costs(All Departments): $4,561,801.00

Total Proposed Professional Services (All Departments): $277,180.00 (Total 2009-10 – $314,550.00, Total 2008-09 -$297,290.00 )

The next meeting of the Cambria Community Services District is Thursday June 24, 2010 at 12:30 at the Veteran’s Memorial Hall. Highlights of the agenda are here, the full agenda is available at cambriacsd.org.

The Water Emergency Alternatives Citizens’ Committee will provide  a progress report on the committee’s work.

The Consent Agenda includes:
A. Approve Expenditures for Month of May 2010
B. Approve Minutes of Board of Directors Meeting, May 27, 2010
C. Consider Adoption of Ordinance 01-2010 Adding Provisions to the CCSD Municipal Code Establishing the Board’s Policy that New Hire Employees Pay 100% of the Employee’s Designated Share of the PERS Retirement Contribution
D. Consider Adoption of Resolution 28-2010 Authorizing Reporting the Payment of Member Contributions to the California Public Employees’
Retirement System for CCSD Management and Confidential Employees (MCE)
E. Consider Adoption of Resolution 29-2010 Approving VanScoyoc Associates Professional Services Agreement
F. Consider Adoption of Resolution 30-2010 Approving AGP Video, Inc. Professional Services Agreement
G. Consider Adoption of Resolution 31-2010 Approving TechExpress Professional Services Information Technology (IT) Agreement

HEARINGS AND APPEALS

A. Conduct Public Hearing to Consider Adoption of Resolution 32-2010 Approving the CCSD Operating Budget for Fiscal Year 2010/2011

B. Public Hearing to Consider Adoption of Resolution 33-2010 Authorizing a 1.9% CPI Adjustment in the Fire Suppression Benefit Assessment

REGULAR BUSINESS
A. Receive Report by Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County on Cambria Vacant Parcel Assessment

The whole meeting (not including public comment) is estimated to take an hour and a half. Since they are considering the budget for next year and an increase in the fire benefit assessment, once again the estimated time is unlikely to be the reality. More on the budget when the board packet is available to me.

6. MANAGER’S AND BOARD REPORTS
A. GENERAL MANAGER’S REPORT
(Estimated Time: 10 minutes)
B. MEMBER AND COMMITTEE REPORTS
(Estimated Time: 10 minutes)
7. CONSENT AGENDA
All matters on the consent calendar are to be approved by one motion. If Directors wish to discuss a consent item other than simple clarifying questions, a request for removal may be made. Such items are pulled for separate discussion and action after the consent calendar as a whole is acted upon.
A. Approve Expenditures for Month of April 2010
B. Approve Minutes of Board of Directors Meeting, April 22, 2010
C. Consider Adoption of Resolution 19-2010 Authorizing Award of Fire Hazard Fuel Reduction Contract
D. Consider Approving Letter of Support for the CCSD Fire Department  Designation as an Advanced Life Support Agency in San Luis Obispo
County
E. Consider Approving Extension of Intent to Serve Letter for Cambria  Shores Inn, Kim Eady, Applicant, APN 022.381.002
F. Consider Approving Extension of Intent to Serve Letter for a Senior Care Facility, Michael Clark, Applicant, APN 024.191.052
G. Consider Adoption of Resolution 24-2010 Ratifying Side Letter No. 2 to  Amended Payment and Compensation Plan (Management and
Confidential Employees)
H. Consider Adoption of Resolution 23-2010 Reinstating CCSD Employee Health Reimbursement Arrangement Benefit and Approving Services
Agreement with BusinessPlans, Inc.
I. Consider Adoption of Resolution 25-2010 Requesting CCSD 2010 Biennial Election be Consolidated with San Luis Obispo County for the
November 2, 2010 Consolidated General Election CCSD Agenda
J. Cast Ballot for Director Muril Clift as LAFCO Alternate Special District Member
K. Consider Adoption of Resolution 27-2010 Revising Utilities Department Reorganization for Succession Planning
(Estimated Time: 15 minutes)
8. HEARINGS AND APPEALS
A. Public Hearing to Confirm Itemized Report of Water and Wastewater Standby or Availability Charges as Provided in Government Code 61124
1. Receive Financial Report
2. Conduct Public Hearing
3. Consider Adoption of Resolution 20-2010 Confirming Water and
Wastewater Standby or Availability Charges
(Estimated Time: 30 minutes)
9. REGULAR BUSINESS
A. Consider Introduction of Ordinance 01-2010 Adding Provisions to the CCSD Municipal Code Establishing the Board’s Policy that Employees
Pay 100% of the Employee’s Designated Share of the PERS Retirement Contribution
B. Consider Adoption of Resolution 21-2010 Authorizing First Amendment to Franchise Agreement for Integrated Solid Waste Management Services between the CCSD and Waste Connections, Inc. d/b/a Mission Country Disposal, Inc.
C. Consider Adoption of Resolution 22-2010 Approving Agreement Between the CCSD and Brad Clark
D. Consider Adoption of Resolution 26-2010 Authorizing a Loan from General Fund Reserves to the Water Fund for Completion of the
Environmental Review Process for a New Stuart Street Tank and Rodeo Grounds Pump Station Replacement and Amend RBF Consulting
Agreement to Extend Term to June 30, 2012
E. Receive DRAFT FY 2010/2011 CCSD Operating Budget
(Estimated Time: 60 minutes)

From an article by DANIEL LOPEZ, staff writer in a recent edition of the Monterey County Herald:

A guide to assist in planning and operating future seawater desalination plants beside the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary was released Monday.

The 20-page document prepared by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Marine Fisheries Service addresses some of the most common project concerns, including site selection, construction and operational impacts, plant discharges and intake systems.

The final draft was published after three years of work with the California Coastal Commission, Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board and several other state and local entities.

“The guidelines are designed to protect the sanctuary’s unique and sensitive environment, while also addressing the practical challenges surrounding water supply along the Central Coast,” said Paul Michel, sanctuary superintendent.

The sanctuary stretches along 276 miles of coastline — from Rocky Point in Marin County to Cambria — and encompasses more than 6,000 square miles of ocean.

Read the rest of the news story by clicking here.

Read the report by clicking image

An item was posted on the website FedBizOpps.gov in the category “Opportunities” soliciting interested qualified vendors for Cambria’s “Geotechnical Feasibility Investigation Study”. The solicitation outlines what is expected of the company that gets the business and (as of today 5/5/10) includes 6 interested vendors from as near as Paso Robles and as far as Florida.

Check it out to gain some insight on the process. The on May 10, 2010, watch the California Coastal Commission hearing on the federal consistency determination (if it isn’t postponed for some reason.) Click here to link to the agenda for that meeting.

If you missed the forum on water alternatives on March 16, 2010, you can now view it here on aboutcambria.com (in four parts). Use this link or the link in the header menu. If you were there, watch it again! Thanks to Steve Figler for the video.

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Washingtonwatch.com tracks the bills in Congress, along with estimates about their costs or savings, when available. They also provide earmark data like the request for Cambria CSD by Lois Capps for $2,000,000 for desalination. Visit the site and make your comments there or here.

This earmark request can be attributed (at least in part) to the work of our lobbyist federal advocate.  Our community has spent a small fortune on this part of the project. How much? Thanks to OpenSecrets.org, it’s easy to find out. OpenSecrets.org is a federal watchdog site that provides information on lobbying expenditures, searchable by client, lobbying firm, individual lobbyist, industry, issue, agency or bill. View the report on Cambria Community Services District here.

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Water is the hub of Cambria issues. Essential for living things, possessing qualities unique to itself, water is a critical part of the complex systems all over the planet. Tonight’s event will be at Rabobank from 6-8pm. It is billed as an educational and informational evening for Cambrians that will cover a number of topics related to alternative water sources. With so much to know about  the complexity of water management (assuring a reliable supply) and education in short supply, this may become the first of many such events. Tonight’s agenda includes talks from experts on clean water & conservation, greywater systems, storage ponds, and water supply. See the flyer below.

See you there!

Choosing a  Replacement Commissioner

This month the couple of dozen special districts in the County will vote for one of four candidates to fill the LAFCO (Local Agency Formation Commission) seat left open upon the retirement of the Oceano CSD director at the end of December 2009. Each county in California has a LAFCo who mission it is to ensure orderly development and efficient provision of services, including annexations and applications for citihood.

The Candidates and Incumbents:

The four candidates are Ed Eby (Director, Nipomo CSD); Brian Kreowski (Commissioner, Port of San Luis Harbor District); Kristi Jenkins (Trustee, CCHD) and Muril Clift (Director, CCSD). With two possible winners, Cambria has an even chance of getting representation on LAFCo this time around. Supervisor Gibson is on the LAFCo board, but he is the only one from the north coast currently there. (other commissioners:  Duane Picanco City Member, City of Paso Robles; Richard Roberts Public Member; Katcho Achadjian, County Board Member, District 4 Supervisor; David L. Brooks Special District Member, Templeton Community Services District; Bruce Gibson County Board Member, District 2 Supervisor; Allen Settle City Member, City of San Luis Obispo, Alternate Commissioners Ed Eby, Tom Murray, James R. Patterson, Kris Vardas.

Who Elects the LAFCo Commissioner?

There are three special district boards in this area that have a vote on who will fill the special district seat: Cambria Community Services District(CCSD), Cambria Community Healthcare District(CCHD), and the Cambria Cemetery District. At this week’s CCHD meeting, a divided board decided to not vote for any of the candidates after rejecting suggestions of Eby (first) and Clift (second) both 3 to 2. The discussion began with Trustee Jenkins essentially pulling her name from consideration, explaining she felt there were at least two candidates better qualified for  the position. Trustee Fratto then nominated Eby, which Trustee Lemming seconded and both voted to approve. Trustee Bates and Jenkins voted “no” immediately and Trustee Headding voted no, after some consideration, to break the tie. Then Trustee Gates moved support of Muril Clift, which ws seconded by Trustee Jenkins. There was no hesitation from the three “no” votes and when no one else was suggested, the final action of non-action was taken.

What This Means

I am not inside the minds of the CCHD trustees, but Muril Clift’s stunt last year (packing a CCHD meeting with folks upset about the ALS equipment and other issues) seems to have left a mark on the trustees, and not in a good way. Rather than using their vote to support Cambria on LAFCo, the CCHD  seems to prefer to hold a grudge. Three of these Trustees are up for election in November 2010. Are they serving the community in a way that you support?