Cambria’s water history
Ms Adleson’s comments on the water history of Cambria includes some very misleading comments and lots of fiction. Please, if you will Ms Adelson come up with some proof verifying the following allegations.
1. The 26,000 population figure!
2. The heliport claim!
3. The golf course claim!
4. 10″s of thousands of trees cut down!
5. Silting of the reservoir requiring excessive maintenance!
6. My not allowing ratepayers to speak at meetings. I originally ran for the Board because a then Director (Pitkin) told me to shut up and sit down. I ALWAYS allowed ANYONE to state their case in meetings under my control. Subject to the three minute rule.
One thing I can agree with is the fact that in my 30 years in this town NO additional water has been provided because the NO growthers have been successful the their “no water - no growth” beliefs. And contrary to your statement I have not joined the NO growth movement. I believe that property owners who have paid taxes, water and sewer “availablity” fees for years and years should be allowed to build.
Cambria’s Water History
At the August 21, 2008 CCSD meeting, Director Peter Chaldecott and General Manager Tammy Rudock presented a 10 minute history lesson of water issues in Cambria since the mid-nineteenth century. There is a downloadable version of the history at cambriacsd.org. Here is the excerpt of the meeting:
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Desal for Cambria
I wonder how many reading this were around in 1996. FYI the CCSD at that time had a Desalination system designed, permitted and ready to be constructed. We had spent over 3 million dollars on this very complicated problem dealing with many varied government agencies. Funny thing is that it was 3 times the size of the system now being discussed. We were going to supply San Simeon with water (with their monetary participation) as well as allow for controlled growth in Cambria. The NO GROWTH group was successful in defeating the majority on the Board who had devised this dastardly plan. The newly elected Directors immediately fired the General Manager (David Andre) and killed the desalination plan. Now here we are 12 years later trying to do the same thing at much greater cost and one third the size.
I would suggest that all voters who are concerned about where our water will come from when we have the draught which is sure to come, screen carefully those running for office in the coming election.
Reginald Perkins (former CCSD president)
No Water Moratorium for CCSD Attorney
“Employee shall receive the following benefits: To encourage Employee to reside locally and remain employed for the term of this agreement, a housing incentive of a non-transferable intent to serve letter for Employee’s single-family residential lot.”
In November 2007 the District Counsel retired from his employee status and was immediately hired as a contract attorney at approx. $100,000 per year for 1/2 time services. Now he has decided that he is not going to build on his lot so he has the lot AND THE WATER RIGHTS up for sale. When I brought this matter to the attention of one of the current CCSD Directors seeking support for stopping any transfer of the intent to serve letter his comment was that there are not three votes on the current Board from members that would be willing to address this issue. Could the contract be any clearer?
What is a CSD anyway?
As we rev up into election season and three positions on the Board of the CCSD are open for election, a little refresher on some of the basics about this form of local government might be helpful.
Back on May 1, 2008, I posted an article called CCSD 101 - The Basics. Read it here. There are a few lingering misconceptions about the CCSD, its board and staff and what it does for the community. To get a more in depth lesson on the CCSD, read the recently produced Municipal Services Review, which provides a good overview of the district and its operations. But in the interest of a better informed community, here are the things everyone should know about the CCSD.
1. The CCSD is not just a water district. Since 1976, when the CCSD was formed, it has taken on providing Water, Sewer, Solid Waste, Fire Protection, Street Lighting, Parks and Recreation, Transit, and Veterans Memorial Services. The CCSD has been recognized as providing these services and cannot cease providing them without LAFCO approval - a process that includes public input and is similar to the process required for the district to take on providing a new service. (Fact: The Community Services District law enumerates 31 potential services a CSD may provide. CCSD provides only 8.)
2. There are 5 elected members on the Board of Directors. State law limits the amount of compensation they are given to $100 per meeting, with a $600/month cap. Directors can choose to receive no compensation.
3. The Directors can be reimbursed for meals and travel for district business (like conferences and Coastal Commission meetings).
There are other Cambria myths and misconceptions. Let’s sharpen up our community knowledge and enhance our understanding.
Tags: 93428, CA, Cambria, CCSD
League of California Cities Offers Insight: Ethics in Public Service
On the League of California Cities’ website you will find some excellent information. In particular, take a look at the Public Service Ethical Dilemmas Analyzed page. The site says: Check out our analysis of a series of commonly faced dilemmas, including their legal and ethical dimensions. You can download, free of charge, analysis of everyday ethics issues such as
- Commitment to Nonprofit Causes and Public Service (Western City, August 2008)
- Property Ownership in Your Jurisdiction
- Promoting Civility at Public Meetings
- Using Public Resources for Charitable Purposes
- What to do When You Suspect an Ethics Problem: An Eight-Step Strategy
Although we are not an incorporated city, nearly all of the information applies to our community leaders. Several months back, Elizabeth Bettenhausen posted an article on California’s website of the Fair Political Practices Commission which lists AB 1234 Ethics Training for Local Officials, a California Law that was passed in Oct. 2005. You can click that item in the left column of the home page and actually take the ethics training yourself. I took the training course and earned my certificate. I know Director Muril Clift also earned his. I recommend it for everyone. Its an education in the complexity of the decisions that elected officials face all the time. It’s not as easy as it seems.
More valuable than a gallon of gas? Say YES! with a small donation today.Tags: 93428, CCSD, Clift, ethics
CCSD Board Discussion On Rates
Finally available through Google video, the discussion between the Board Members about what to do about the rate increase. It provides an interesting perspective of the outcome of the rates proposal and prop 218 protest. It’s about 20 minutes in all.
More valuable than a gallon of gas? Say YES! with a small donation today.Tags: 93428, Cambria, CCSD, water rates
Looking Forward with Clarity (aka: What’s Next?)
At the Rates Committee meeting held last Friday morning, the small group of us agreed that keeping the group going to act as a kind of watchdog for the CCSD is a good idea. The Rates Committee is currently the only active committee from the larger group, but agreed that the larger group should be called together to address revising the mission of the CFRCCSD. We made no assumption about CFR’s plans for the future and whether or not they would want to be involved in something other than a rates issue.
What we did decide (by general consensus) were these things:
There will be a meeting on October 1, 2008 at Rabobank at 6pm to define the purpose of the group as it goes forward.
As the Rates Committee of CFRCCSD, we didn’t have the authority to change the mandate of the larger group (if it still exists) and a meeting with everyone interested is necessary. We wanted to make sure anyone who is interested has a chance to get involved. The regular evening meeting of the group has been on the first Wednesday evening of each month at Rabobank. A September 3 meeting would would make it impossible to get something in the paper. To give people enough notice so they could plan to attend, we decided the “redefining meeting” will be held on the first Wednesday in October. (October 1, 2008)
There will be an informal meeting on the first Wednesday of September (this week) at Rabobank at 6pm.
The agenda will consist of two topics: Discussion and planning for the October Rabobank meeting (see above) and discussion of what we’d like to see from a candidates’ forum - format, etc. (The Chamber has scheduled one on the 7th of October at the Vets hall.) No decisions about the group, its mission or its future will be made until the October 1 meeting. We will focusing on the future of Cambria at this meeting, so unless I get an request for an addition to the agenda, the Proposition 218 process and outcome will not be a topic of discussion. That would be a topic more appropriately addressed at a meeting of CFR, the group who lead the campaign or the CCSD. (And I hope it will be!)
Please join us at Rabobank this Wednesday evening at 6pm and on October 1, same time and place.
More valuable than a gallon of gas? Say YES! with a small donation today.Tags: 93428, Cambria, CCSD, cfrc
CCSD Secrecy At It’s Finest
On August 11, 2008 Amanda Rice submitted a public document request asking for several items. She asked for copies of emails from General Manager Tammy Rudock to the Board during a given time period, copies of emails from CCSD to the League of Women’s Voters, and copies of any contract between CCSD and the League of Women’s Voters regarding the Prop. 218 protest. The CCSD response, signed by Ms. Rudock, said that she doesn’t retain “sent” emails, that there were no emails to the League nor was there any contract. The following is a reprint of my August 30th email to Ms. Rudock:
Dear Ms. Rudock,
At a time when there is a great deal on community concern about transparency at the CCSD, it is very disturbing to see the public records response received by Amanda Rice. In her request she asked for copies of some of your “sent” emails.
The attached public records response says in part ” Ms. Rudock does not retain sent emails in the regular course of business and I have checked and she did not retain any such emails.” Since the response letter is signed by you, could you please explain who the “I” refers to when the response is talking about your practices.
I have serious concerns, shared by many other Cambrians, that you do not retain “sent” emails. What record do you have of the electronic correspondence you have with others? As CCSD is a public agency, Cambrians have a right to access the records of public business, and ordinary and prudent business practice is to keep records of correspondence. Can you please provide me with an explanation of why such records are not retained.
Among the recipients of this message are the CCSD Board and the CCSD District Counsel. I sincerely hope that you will ensure that the practice of the General Manager maintaining no record of electronic correspondence will be terminated immediately. If this same practice is being followed by any other CCSD employees it should be terminated immediately as well.Richard Davega
The Grass is Greener…Somewhere Other than Cambria.
I’ve recently remarked that there is much more to Cambria than the joyous complications of the CCSD and that AboutCambria.com would start covering a wider variety of goings on in our village. With schools recently starting up again, a new superintendent on the horizon and Board members up for election in November….the time is ripe for talking about our schools here in Cambria.
Now, I must admit I am not as up-to-date on the personalities, issues and successes at the schools. But I don’t have to rely on my memory of being a student to try to understand: I don’t have kids, but I did teach high school English in New Orleans for 5 years, including 2 years as department chair, and know a little about Cambria’s teens from the 2 years I worked at the Cambria Community Center (AKA the Youth Center).
A flurry of emails has been flying through the ether about the fields at the elementary school, a discussion launched by the always passionate and sincere Steve Kniffen. Apparently, the fields at the elementary school are unusable. There was an effort to get the grass growing again over the summer, but for whatever reason, there has been little success. And in considering the frustration of no fields at the NEW school, Steve thought of more questions about budget issues and irrigation and quality.
Teri Mertens wrote a coherent and useful reply. While it didn’t offer any specific solutions, it did offer a clear sense of values and another first-hand view of the situation:
I supervise lunch recess on the 3rd tier at the grammar school. The small patch of grass on that upper level is currently the only open field. The lack of field space creates congestion on the rest of the playground. I am grateful that Steve Kniffen volunteers regularly to run an afternoon softball game (on the blacktop) to keep a LARGE group of students involved and positive.
I know where Steve’s passion about the fields comes from. I have seen his commitment to the children in this town. He is a taxpayer who volunteered his time to pass our school bond. A parent who installed tether ball courts at the old school. A dedicated coach of many sport teams. A regular volunteer on campus who teaches the rules of games and encourages fair play. A fundraiser who barbecues for many worthy causes. A homeowner who can appreciate the beauty and pride of a well kept yard.
We all know Steve deeply cares about Cambria.
I have witnessed the fields at their best and at their worst. At the end of last year they were a travesty. I know that the District maintenance has been trying to rectify the problem. I believe that the parents and staff have been patient. I think that Steve has been (and is continuing to be) an important advocate for the children. We can’t drop the ball again… we can’t let the fields die this year.
Last year, I was walking by the Old Grammar School and a tourist asked me if it was going to be demolished. The knee high thistle under the climbing structure and the dead fields gave the appearance of abandonment. I remembered living near the school when my kids were toddlers. On the weekends we would walk over to swing on the swings, hang on the bars, and look through the windows to admire all of the beautiful artwork. It was quality family time. How sad that the neighbors of that site no longer have a welcoming “gem” to enjoy. How sad that the school district doesn’t maintain this “playground space” to encourage a healthy community.
All district sites should be places of community pride: Places that encourage and welcome good, clean fun. I am hoping that our new Superintendent will see our school sites as community assets to be loved by more than just the K-12 population.
It’s worth my time,
Toni Mertens
Cindy Fratto responded that the issue is “of utmost concern to me” and offered to meet with Steve and anyone else about the concerns Steve raised. She went on to say :
Many of these concerns have been misunderstood, as often happens in our small town. They are still vaild concerns and deserve a sincere response. Please contact me if you would like to meet to go over these and any others. I will discuss/answer to the best of my abilities, and find out what I don’t know.
I don’t think I speak out of turn in saying that the entire Board cares very much about this District and is not ignoring these concerns.
Cindy Fratto
The back and forth among some of the more verbal folks was revealing. It’s the same basic complaint I’ve been hearing at the CCSD for at least a year now: the public complain about the lack of information dissemination and the scheduling of the meeting while members of the Board argue that if the public would attend the meetings, they would be informed and have a say. In a way, both sides are right. And this is precisely why I started AboutCambria.com…to provide another way for people to get information on their own time, at their own pace. Ideally, it would serve as a place for conversation and finding solutions, too.
From one of Steve’s later responses on this issue of information sharing:
“…elected representatives have a responsibility to diseminate information to their constituantcy beyond the attendence at a meeting…Thursday nights are impossible for me and maybe others as well, that should not preclude us from information. I spend lots of time at events where this information should be forthcoming: PTA meetings, site council, recess, reading the Cambrian. The problem is this, we live in a feel good society, we don’t want to discuss failures, problems and mishaps. We just want them to go away, but they are not. If my circle of friends don’t posses this information, then we are not trying to hard to get that information out. The number of people who are now informed because of the reply all button on my computer should prove the point that it is not to hard to get the information out there…”
Cindy Fratto will be meeting with the PTA on Tuesday September 2 at 6pm, so jot it on your calendar if you’d like to go find out what is being done to fix the fields and address other concerns about the quality of the facilities.
AboutCambria.com is a reflection and creation of those who participate, which means you’re quite likely to run into some strong opinions and biases. But I work to provide both sides the time and space to have their opinion heard - not unbiased, but working toward balance.