City looks to charge equestrian center for water use

Tariq Malik

HUNTINGTON BEACH -- In a time when city departments are trying to cut

back on their spending, a small pot of money has been sitting in Central

Park.

City officials are looking into the possibility of charging the

Huntington Central Park Equestrian Center for its water use, a utility

that has historically been supplied free of charge.

The issue arose at a May 7 City Council meeting, when the equestrian

center sought to increase stable fees about $15 across the board to

compete with those found at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa.

Though council members granted the increase, they also asked for a study

into recouping the water costs at the equestrian center.

“Because of various reasons, the city is currently looking to reduce

the budgets of every department by 5%,” said Councilman Ralph Bauer in a

May 7 council meeting. “But this water represents about $35,000 a year

that the city’s not collecting.”

Jim Engle, the city’s assistant director of community services, said

the city agreed to provide water to the center from its Central Park

wells 19 years ago, when the contract to start the horse facility was

first settled.

City officials added that it could be changed when that agreement is

up for renewal in 2007, but some council members thought it should happen

sooner.

“As a city, we’re going through some agonizing over our facilities,

rent charges and the public services,” Bauer said. “So when you see that

kind of money on the table, you have to go after it.”

Engle said the equestrian center has expressed a willingness to

discuss the possibility of paying for the, as of now, city-supplied

water.

“We want to make our agreement work with the city, but we need a

little time,” said Bill Harris, owner of the equestrian center, adding

that two or three months would be needed to assess the water issue.

“We’re willing to make a lot more money [for the city] and raise the

water money through other ways.”

Harris said that projects currently in the planning stages could

potentially generate more revenue for the city and cover the center’s

water costs, but a worst-case scenario would be to pass it on to stable

renters, at an added charge of $7 a month.

City officials agreed to review the matter and report back to council

in the next few months.