Is anybody listening?
We recently editorialized against public apathy over the
political process.
Why did we bother?
This week, the county Board of Supervisors was called to fill a
position on the Tres Pinos Water District Board of Directors.
Is anybody listening?
We recently editorialized against public apathy over the political process.
Why did we bother?
This week, the county Board of Supervisors was called to fill a position on the Tres Pinos Water District Board of Directors.
If, as it’s said, all politics is local then it does not get any more local than this.
The TPWD Board oversees sewer and wastewater service to fewer than 200 locations. But it’s become a lightning rod for all things connected to development.
The board took a stand against a luxury hotel that became so mired in the political process that its applicants indicate they’re done fooling around.
When board member Dee Ann Brown resigned for personal reasons, the remaining four board members deadlocked 2-2 over two applicants: Bobby Zaucha and Janie Lausten. That pushed the decision to the county Board of Supervisors.
Both have a long history in Tres Pinos. Both are plain-spoken people with unimpeachable reputations for honesty and devotion to their tiny community.
Along with just about everyone else in town, both acknowledge that the current infrastructure offers inadequate fire protection and limited ability to serve new customers. Just possibly, that’s the way some might like it to stay.
Correct or otherwise, Zaucha was identified as the guy who would be most likely to keep rates for current customers down, requiring new users to foot the bill for system improvements. Lausten was popularly viewed as a person who might do things differently.
Insiders say Supervisor Reb Monaco, whose district swallows Tres Pinos, initially indicated he was leaning toward Lausten. Other supervisors traditionally bow to the supervisor whose district covers local jurisdictions, so the vote appeared to be a given.
But it wasn’t.
The news spawned a petition drive, and a letter appearing in last week’s Pinnacle indicating preference for Zaucha contained signatures that amounted to a Who’s Who of Tres Pinos, if a village like Tres Pinos can be said to have a Who’s Who.
On Friday, Zaucha’s supporters were assured by Monaco that he would give weight to their opinion, and lean toward Zaucha.
The wind shifted, and on Monday, they heard Monaco had changed his mind.
On Tuesday, Lausten was elected.
That puts three members – a majority – of the water district in what is perceived to be a pro-development camp. Coincidentally, all three were appointed, not elected.
It still seems unlikely that the village of Tres Pinos – a fascinating collection of Victorian cottages, shacks, modular homes and trailers peppered with a few McMansions – will be the next venue for Trump Towers, but it’s interesting to follow nonetheless.
While it’s impossible to know if the water board will hold the door open for a flurry of new development in Tres Pinos, it’s easy to discern something else.
The majority opinion among water district customers was ignored. Kind of makes one wonder if sticking one’s neck out is worth the trouble, doesn’t it?
On the other hand, the local outcry over the state’s bone-headed decision to plant a new courthouse out in a field near the airport caused state court drones to sit up and reconsider. A downtown location is back on the table and things look encouraging.
Score one for the good guys.
Got a question?
We’re about to interview the seven candidates for the three seats on the Board of Supervisors that are to be contested in June because, well, somebody has to do it.
We’ve got our own list of questions, but we’d like to hear from you. What do you want to know about your supervisor-to-be and his/her opinions? Favorite color? Zodiac sign? Perhaps something more substantive?
Drop me a line and your questions will make it into the interview and, eventually, their answers into the pages of the Pinnacle.
