About Cambria

In a stunning coincidence that can only bode well for our town, government transparency and  water conservation are in the spotlight this week. Opening the government and eliminating leaks are sharing a week of publicity? Pinch me with the poetic nature of it all.  Here’s the skinny:

More about Fix a Leak Week:

Fix a Leak Week is sponsored by the EPA and their WaterSense program. According to their website, an American home can waste, on average, 11,000 gallons of water every year due to running toilets, dripping faucets, and other household leaks. Nationwide, more than 1 trillion gallons of water leak from U.S. homes each year. That’s why WaterSense is promoting Fix a Leak Week from March 16 to 20, 2009, to remind Americans to check their plumbing fixtures and irrigation systems for leaks.

The CCSD is offering its customers the opportunity to monitor their own water meters.  For $25.00, you can obtain an Orion Water Meter Monitor that will allow you to view your water consumption at any time–a great water conservation or leak detection tool.  It can be easily installed in your residence or business and provides on-demand visual display of the actual water meter reading along with indication of leaks. 

Please call the CCSD at 927-6223 to find out more about this water and cost saving tool.

The EPA is also asking people to Pledge to Fix a Leak!

How long have you been ignoring that pitter patter coming from the shower? How about the leaky spigot on the side of the house, or that running toilet? While leaks might sometimes seem like small problems, over time they can waste both valuable water resources and money. On average, a U.S. household can leak 11,000 gallons of water per year—enough to fill a backyard swimming pool!

Want to do something about it? Take the WaterSense pledge to fix a leak around your home (see how many have already made the pledge!). You’ll save a precious resource, but that’s not all. Fixing easily corrected household water leaks can save homeowners more than 10 percent on their water bills.

Common types of leaks found in the home are leaking toilet flappers, dripping faucets, and other leaking valves. These types of leaks are easily correctable, in most cases requiring only a few tools and hardware that will easily pay for themselves in water savings.

If you discover a significant leak that merits fixture replacement, look for the WaterSense label when considering a new toilet or faucet, and you’ll increase your home’s water efficiency. WaterSense labeled faucets, for example, use 30 percent less water without a noticeable difference in flow, and they are available in hundreds of different styles.

So grab a wrench or contact your favorite handy person to address leaking toilets, faucets, and other plumbing fixtures around your home.

More about Sunshine Week:

Sunshine Week is a national initiative to open a dialogue about the importance of open government and freedom of information. Participants include print, broadcast and online news media, civic groups, libraries, non-profits, schools and others interested in the public’s right to know.

Sunshine Week is led by the American Society of Newspaper Editors and is funded primarily by a challenge grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation of Miami.

Though spearheaded by journalists, Sunshine Week is about the public’s right to know what its government is doing, and why. Sunshine Week seeks to enlighten and empower people to play an active role in their government at all levels, and to give them access to information that makes their lives better and their communities stronger.

Sunshine Week is a non-partisan initiative whose supporters are conservative, liberal and everything in between.

And being involved can make a difference. Witness:

Sunshine Week 2009 Survey of State Government Info Online

There will be a lot going on with the North Coast Advisory Council over then next several months. This post is just a quick overview, visit the  NCAC website for more information and details. The next regular meeting will be held at Rabobank on March 18, 2009.

Upcoming issues:

• Conservation and Open Space Element of the General Plan. This document will set policy and guide ordinances and planning action for at least 20 years. It covers many different factors including:

• Air Quality • Open Space
• Biological Resources • Soil Resources
• Cultural Resources • Water Resources
• Energy • Visual Resources
• Mineral Resources

• Review and comment on amendment to County Growth Management ordinance for the county.
• Inclusionary housing element in the County

Also coming up: Election for 2009 will be May 5. Deadline to file as a candidate is March 18, at the end of the meeting. This year, the odd numbered geographic voting areas are opening up. This includes San Simeon, Park Hill, Downtown between highway 1 and Main street and the southern portion of Lodge Hill (including Top of the World, but not Marine Terrace). If you are interested in joining the Council, please visit NCAC’s website for details.

“People of Earth, your attention please,” a voice said, and it was wonderful. Wonderful perfect quadraphonic sound with distortion levels so low as to make a brave man weep.

“This is Prostetnic Vogon Jeltz of the Galactic Hyperspace Planning Council,” the voice continued. “As you will no doubt be aware, the plans for development of the outlying regions of the Galaxy require the building of a hyperspatial express route through your star system, and regrettably your planet is one of those scheduled for demolition. The process will take slightly less than two of your Earth minutes. Thank you.”

The PA died away.
Uncomprehending terror settled on the watching people of Earth. The terror moved slowly through the gathered crowds as if they were iron filing on a sheet of board and a magnet was moving beneath them. Panic sprouted again, desperate fleeing panic, but there was nowhere to flee to.

Observing this, the Vogons turned on their PA again. It said:

“There’s no point acting all surprised about it. All the planning charts and demolition orders have been on display in your local planning department in Alpha Centauri for fifty of your Earth years, so you’ve had plenty of time to lodge any formal complaint and it’s far too late to start making a fuss about it now.”

The PA fell silent again and its echo drifted off across the land. The huge ship turned slowly in the sky with easy power. On the underside of each a hatchway opened, an empty black square.

By this time somebody somewhere must have manned a radio transmitter, located a wavelength and broadcast a message back to the Vogon ships, to plead on behalf of the planet. Nobody ever heard what they said, they only heard the reply. The PA slammed back into life again. The voice was annoyed. It said:

“What do you mean you’ve never been to Alpha Centauri? For heaven’s sake mankind, it’s only four light years away you know. I’m sorry, but if you can’t be bothered to take an interest in local affairs that’s your own lookout.”

“Energize the demolition beams.”

Light poured out of the hatchways.

“I don’t know” said the voice on the PA, “apathetic bloody planet, I’ve no sympathy at all.” It cut off.

There was a terrible ghastly silence.
There was a terrible ghastly noise.
There was a terrible ghastly silence.

The Vogon Constructor Fleet coasted away into the inky starry void.

- Douglas Adams, The Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy

[ download PDF version ]

Futuristic, barbaric, funny and starkly close to the modern day planning process. Every new project,  county ordinance or state policy can seem like a Vogon demolition order. It may be our elected representatives who write and ratify legislation but democracy doesn’t stop after the election. Every time wonderful new regulations are announced, why is it that great swathes of the electorate blink, pinch themselves and then wonder what the hell possessed “the Vogons” to think up of such ridiculous ideas – don’t they realize what the consequences will be? Representatives need open channels of communication to continue being representative after election, otherwise they might as well be on Alpha Centauri.

One of those “open channels” in Cambria is the North Coast Advisory Council. The NCAC (and other advisory councils like it in other communities) was created by the County Board of Supervisors, whose vision was to provide a way to get the input of various community interests and citizens about decisions they make that affect our community. It is a group of people, elected and appointed, who volunteer and serve in an advisory capacity on issues  at the county level.  (For the entire proclamation creating the councils, the NCAC bylaws and other information, visit the website at www.northcoastadvisorycouncil.org)

Members of the council are elected by their neighbors. Cambria is divided into seven neighborhoods or “Geographical Voting Areas” and San Simeon is represented by its own GVA. Residents vote for their own neighborhood’s representative. So, for example, I vote for who represents my Lodge Hill neighborhood, but not for representives from Park Hill or San Simeon. Elections are held the first Tuesday in May – even-numbered GVAs in even years and (surprisingly) odd-numbered GVAs in odd years. In addition, four members are appointed to serve the following interests: Hispanic, Business, Ag and Environmental. Check the map to see which are you live in. If you live in 1, 3, 5, or 7, visit the NCAC website for details on how to become a candidate.

The NCAC reviews projects, proposed ordinances, road/public works projects  that the county sends for our review. We look whatever it is over (sometimes in committee first), discuss with our friends and neighbors and at the monthly meeting and send our comments back to the county. The Council is currently reviewing the Conservation and Open Space Element of the County’s General Plan and will soon be reviewing revised policies concerning growth management, strategic growth and low impact development.

Democracy is a process and not solely the act of electing some people every couple of years. Many people aren’t able or arent interested in attending  public meetings on a regular basis, but many do try to catch part when they are broadcast on TV. AboutCambria.com strives to share the happenings of many of these meetings. The Cambrian prints details of meeting times, places and agendas, as well. There are many ways to be involved and informed. It doesn’t take much time or energy to be a part of your community and your participation ensures better leaders and a stronger community.

*Note: Amanda Rice was elected to the NCAC as representative for GVA 8 in 2006 and currently serves as Chairperson. The views presented here on AboutCambria.com are not necessarily those of the North Coast Advisory Council members or the council as a whole.