Daigle questions Edison

Newport Beach City Councilwoman Leslie Daigle is concerned Southern California Edison isn’t releasing enough information to the public about a $20-million proposal to underground utilities on Balboa Island.

“I see it as whether you are for or against the process, Southern California Edison should be transparent and accountable in the details of its costs,” Daigle said.

Balboa Island property owners will take a vote later this month on whether to create an assessment district and underground utilities there. If the assessment district fails to pass, the city could be on the hook to pay about $600,000 from its general fund to cover administrative costs. The money, used to pay engineers to draft preliminary plans for the large assessment district, would come out of the pockets of Balboa Island residents if the measure passes.

Some island homeowners are up in arms about how much the project will cost them and now say they want Southern California Edison to release to the public the breakdown of costs on the project and the construction bids the utility received.

Mayor Ed Selich recently asked Southern California Edison to release some of the details of the project’s costs, but the utility refused, he said.

“That’s their policy and they’re not required by law to do it,” Selich said. “It’s kind of like going to buy a car from GM — they don’t tell you what the steel is going to cost. That’s kind of Edison’s approach.”

It’s against Southern California Edison’s policies to release construction bids to the public, because it could compromise the bidding process, said Eddie Marquez, the utility’s public affairs regional manager.

“It’s all about fairness and equity at the end of the day,” Marquez said. “If we show this information to the public, it compromises the integrity of the process. The whole purpose is to get the best deal for your customer and the most qualified competitor.”

The multiyear construction project that would tear up streets and alleyways on Balboa Island could begin as early as July if island property owners vote for the project in April. The Balboa Island assessment district would be the largest of its kind in the city’s history and would affect about 1,200 property owners.

City officials estimate Balboa Island homeowners will pay anywhere from about $5,000 to $35,500 apiece for the project, depending on the size of their lot. Most homeowners would pay about $16,000.

Property owners can elect to pay the money over the course of 15 years with their annual property taxes. Residents also would have to pay anywhere from $2,000 to $5,000 apiece in hook-up fees for the undergrounding. About 60% of Balboa Island property owners petitioned the city to create the assessment district and underground utilities there in 2004.

The issue will go to a vote April 28.