Sounding off

Gary Alstot

What will be done, how much will it cost, and when will it be

finished?

You would think there would be more news coverage about the coming

election. When you are talking about asking the Laguna property owners to

spend $25 to $39 millions or perhaps even more, you would think we would

hear more about the issues. Do you know about it?

The city sent you a notice, if you are a Laguna property owner within

the city sewer service area. (Properties within the boundaries of the

South Coast Water District are excluded.) My letter was dated April 19,

2002. No one signed the letter. With the 10% fee increase over the last

two years, plus the 20% increase over the next two years, the total sewer

service fee will have increased 30%.

After two years of study the city has finally determined a it needs to

study the fairness of sewer fees and that it will require hiring a

consultant firm specializing in water and sewer rate structures. The

council must still vote on this issue.

The city letter states: “The proposed charge amounts are based upon

the added costs to maintain and replace sewer facilities to reduce sewer

spills and comply with the Federal Clean Water Act and regulations

established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).”

Wonder what maintenance and replacement were being provided? The

letter didn’t mention the $60,000 the city was fined for sewer spills and

how close it had been to being No. 1 in spills. Makes you wonder what

repair and replacement the system will receive in the future?

The letter further states: “The estimated cost to complete these

improvements is $25 to $39 million.” Fourteen million dollars seems like

a big difference to me. The school bond was exactly $39 million. Couldn’t

the estimate be a little closer?

The letter went on to say: “The proposed charge increase would allow

the highest priority improvements to be made in the next five to 10 years

but would still leave deficiencies to be corrected.”

I wonder what the deficiencies are and how much they will cost. Are

they telling us they don’t know what must be done, how much it will cost

and when it might be finished?

The Laguna Beach Unified School Board established what had to be done,

the estimated costs and passed two resolutions to reduce concerns. The

first was the creation of a Citizens’ Oversight Committee to oversee bond

proceeds, expenditure and audits and the second a facility repair and

replacement program for the purpose of maintaining school facilities in a

state of good repair. Based on Orange County Treasurer John Moorlach’s

criteria for grading local school bond measures, Measure R received an

“A” grade. Eighty-one percent of the voters approved the school

improvement bond measure.

The City Council will conduct a public hearing on Tuesday., June 18 in

the Council Chambers to consider increases to the sewer service charge

imposed on real property within the city. It is only if you disagree

that you have to protest in writing by June 18. Your parcel number must

be included. Renters don’t get a vote. Maybe your landlord will share the

fee increase.

Wasn’t there a revolution about taxation without representation?

You and 50% of the property owners have to tell the city “no” in

writing to kill the fee increase. The City Council could delay the fee

increase to get additional information. Think they will want to know

what will be done, how much it will cost and when will it be finished?

Just wondering.

* GARY ALSTOT is a Laguna Beach resident.