A $100 K emergency water pipeline between Stonegate and Tres
Pinos on hold
Tres Pinos County Water District board members voted to send a
reimbursement contract between district officials and Stonegate, a
73-home gated community near Tres Pinos, for a $100,000 pipeline
that would connect the two entities back to committee for
negotiation at a board meeting on Aug. 28.
A $100 K emergency water pipeline between Stonegate and Tres Pinos on hold
Tres Pinos County Water District board members voted to send a reimbursement contract between district officials and Stonegate, a 73-home gated community near Tres Pinos, for a $100,000 pipeline that would connect the two entities back to committee for negotiation at a board meeting on Aug. 28.
Stonegate residents depend on a single source of water, “blue valve” from the San Felipe Water Importation Project. Though Stonegate residents have water for drinking, due to a reduced allocation they do not have enough for landscaping.
The pipeline, a temporary emergency intertie, would provide Stonegate residents with water for landscaping.
Tres Pinos Water District customers would get more water for fire suppression through use of Stonegate’s 150,000-gallon water tank. The additional water would bring Tres Pinos Water District officials into compliance with fire code.
The emergency intertie would be approved until Feb. 28, 2009.A long-term emergency intertie could be used in case of a fire but would necessitate more environmental review.
Local developers John Eade and Gerald Posey offered to pay for half of the cost of the pipeline in return for future hookups from the Tres Pinos Water District.
Stonegate would pay for the other half if the intertie becomes permanent, according to the contract proposed at the meeting.
The original proposal was for a fifty/fifty split in cost, Schmidt said.
Stonegate residents do not want to pay $50,000 for an intertie that would be useless if a future Tres Pinos board does not make it permanent, said Mike Randle, president of the Stonegate Homeowners’ Association.
“If they do not become part of our district then we get stuck with the whole $100,000,” said Ed Schmidt a Tres Pinos Water District board member.
If current board members agree, an annexation agreement can be made binding for a future board, said Greg Alvarado, a Tres Pinos board member.
“We’ve been out of compliance [for fire suppression] for 18 years,” said Greg Alvarado, a Tres Pinos County Water District Board member. “I think that’s gone on long enough. Any other solution is too expensive.”
Board members Alvarado and Janie Lausten agreed that district officials need to get in compliance.
About 30 people attended the board meeting.
“I see a high percentage of Stonegate residents,” said Pam Alvarado, manager of the Tres Pinos County Water District. “My concern is that Tres Pinos residents aren’t getting the information.”
Tres Pinos Board members voted 3-2 to send a letter to Tres Pinos residents about the emergency intertie. Robert Frusetta and Schmidt voted against the motion.
The letter will be signed by Janet Somavia, president of the Tres Pinos Water District. Somavia wrote the letter with Jason Noble, who owns property that he wants to annex into the district and develop. The issue was discussed at the meeting.
Although the letter was drafted without board input, when sent out it will become de facto board policy, Schmidt said.
“If it’s sent out, I’d like to have a chance to review the letter and make changes that seem appropriate,” Frusetta said.
Schmidt agreed.
Frusetta disagreed with the wording of one line in the letter.
“This connection will be paid for by private property owners of land in the district,” was changed to, “may be paid for by private property land owners in the district.”
Frusetta abstained from a vote on changing the wording of the letter. The other four board members voted in favor of the word change.
At the meeting, Noble asked the board for permission to have his attorney draft an agreement for future hookups from district officials.
“All I’m asking for is permission for my attorney to draft it,” Noble said. “We’ll come back to them for consideration at another time.”
