This
will be news to almost everyone: there is a new state law in the works that
applies only to the Santa Ynez Valley.
Sponsored
by State Assemblyman Pedro Nava and supported by County Supervisor Brooks
Firestone, it is fast-tracking its way through the State legislature without
community input.
The bill
affects the expansion of water and sewer services in the Santa Ynez Valley, and
has the potential to reduce significantly our community’s ability to control
its own character. It could drastically increase development, and it could
adversely affect everyone’s water rights.
One
example: if passed, this bill immediately will give the local water company,
Santa Ynez River Water Conservation District Improvement District No. 1, the
new authority to install a sewer system in Los Olivos. Coincidentally,
according to the State Central Coast Water Board, at the request of Los Olivos
commercial property owners, a private meeting recently was held to discuss how
the State could help them get a sewer system into Los Olivos.
Despite
the inadequate (and, in at least one case, illegal) public noticing, people in
the Valley have learned of this proposed new law, and have begun to ask
questions.
The
proponents of this new law say there is nothing to worry about. But in that case, they should not
hesitate to slow-down this process, tell their story in a public meeting, and
answer questions from those concerned.
They have
been asked to do so, but have not agreed.
To
illustrate why there is so much concern, here are examples of the different
answers given to the simple “Why are you doing this?” question:
• From
Improvement District No. 1 to its customers: it would make them “a fully independent water company that
could better meet the needs of its customers.”
• From
Improvement District No. 1 to me:
We don’t want to do it, the Santa Barbara County Local Agency Formation
Commission (another local quasi-governmental agency) is threatening to sue us
if we don’t.
• From
the proposed state law: this Act “is
necessary because of the unique and special surface water and groundwater
problems in the area.” (This is
not true, and a very dangerous principle to establish in State law.)
• From
Improvement District No. 1’s attorneys to the Improvement District No. 1
board: “… the intent [of the law]
would be to broaden and clarify the District’s powers...”
This
inconsistent set of answers is confusing — and disturbing.
This new
State law, applicable only to the Santa Ynez Valley, was written by Improvement
District No. 1’s attorneys, Denver-based Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck.
According to their own website (www.bhfs.com) they proudly describe themselves
as “… a real estate and political powerhouse [merged] with California’s largest
water practice,” and, “in January 2007, the firm merged with Schreck Brignone
in Las Vegas, adding a nationally recognized gaming practice to its list of
offerings.”
This certainly
raises questions, and the public certainly deserves answers.
Space
limitations have only allowed exposure of a few of the many concerns related to
this complex issue. Hopefully, this is enough to get public action.
There is
no reason to fast-track this law through the state Legislature. Improvement
District No. 1 has been in business for 47 years. Improvement District No. 1,
LAFCO and Firestone have been working on this change for at least two years. I
can’t imagine why the public would be denied an informational meeting and full
disclosure.
You can
help. Perhaps if more citizens ask, the people in control of this situation
will respond to the reasonable request for a slow-down and a public hearing:
Assemblyman
Pedro Nava, (805) 564-1649, assemblymember.nava@assembly.ca.gov
Third
District Supervisor Brooks Firestone, (805) 568-2192,
bfirestone@co.santa-barbara.ca.us.
Improvement
District No. 1 General Manager Chris Dahlstrom, (805) 688-6015,
cdahlstrom@syrd.org.
LAFCO
Executive Officer Bob Braitman, (805) 568-3391, lafco@sblafco.org.
Robert Field has been involved with
public and private water systems for 25 years, and is president of a mutual water company in the Santa Ynez
Valley.