In an effort to educate myself about the possible merger of Lompico County Water District with the San Lorenzo Valley Water District, I have been attending as many meetings as possible. Although there have been many updates on the possible merger, I felt that it would be informative to have each board director formally state their position on the possible merger with SLVWD. I went to the district office and requested an item be placed on the regular board agenda asking each director to state their position on the possible merger and their reasons why they felt that way. I was told my request would be placed on the May 15 board meeting agenda.
At the May 15 meeting, directors Lois Henry, Bill Smallman and Rick Harrington stated they are for the merger for various reasons, including the high cost to run the 500-hook-up district, the current poor water quality and the capability of SLV to assure and administer a sustainable water supply in Lompico. Director Shannar Abraham said he has never been against or for the merger and that he’s interested in getting the best deal possible for the district. Director Sherwin Gott did not like the agenda item and refused to answer.
Gott said (the entire meeting was recorded), “I believe that this is totally ill-placed. I believe that this statement is basically a direct political action. It has nothing to do with the actions of running the district or the board; it’s been very clear what everybody’s position was, because our voting records are very clear on how we discussed the merger, and we’ve probably been voting on this for almost two years now. I find it highly distasteful that you would go ahead and try to say that you (Harrington) brought it on from a public, when you yourself put it on the agenda, but weren’t willing to take that credit.”
He called it purely political and then walked out of the room. Gott poked his head back in the meeting and said he’d like to see his statement as part of the minutes of the meeting.
I would like to thank the directors Henry, Abraham, Smallman and Harrington for their direct responses. I was extremely disappointed in director Gott’s failure to respond to my question, in that I was looking forward to having each director’s reasons and position so that I could make an informed decision on this critically important issue.
Brad Smith, Lompico
Certainly members of the public have an opportunity to speak during open comment. How many times have we seen that at County Board of Supervisor meetings where someone demands to know an opinion of the Supervisor. The Supervisor just nods and thanks the speaker for their comments.
Sounds like the phrasing of the agenda item by Mr. Harrington was improper.
Also I hope that this is not the beginning of attacks on Mr Gott to make him appear unstable and therefore unworthy of listening to regarding his concerns about a takeover.
I've seen that so many times recently. A letter writer criticizing a candidate was called "crazy" by his campaign team. Whatever happened to substance and dialogue?
This is why we need some new board members, not SLV cheerleaders and certainly not the Lake Blvd crowd who have been the only ones so far to benefit at all from this hoopla with SLV.
You'll pay for an eminent domained "intertie" that will divert water, not only out of Lompico, but out of the San Lorenzo Valley.
Everything that SLVWD and FLOW used as scare tactics to get people to fear Cal Am actually came to pass through SLVWD.
Truly SLVWD is not the best steward for Lompico's water system and delivery.
Keep it local.
By the way Lompico...say we do merge, we get a $500 per yr per meter bond assessment. Our water rates go down in the short term, but what do you think is going to happen in the future. Our rates will go up, that's a given, SLV has raised rates 30% in the last four years. Our bond will stay the same for it's whole life (20-30 years). So in a few years we'll end up paying 20 times more than anyone else in Santa Cruz County. Just ask someone from Felton Water. Water is not getting cheaper and we need to keep ours in Lompico.
invest in long term project with a history of
mismanagement & no deferred maintenance with low return?
Let alone the low response to the survey in the water bills!,Increased State & Local regulation..
etc. etc.
Operating a Domestic water system involves lots of physical(not psychic)/mechanical/geological energy,
Perhaps Director Gott can "show" us the way
I unfortunately do not think we have much choice.
...more Indians...less pseudo const.mgrs