Sixty-six Tres Pinos residents have stymied plans for to
increase local water rates.
Hollister – Sixty-six Tres Pinos residents have stymied plans for to increase local water rates.
The Tres Pinos County Water District recently initiated the Proposition 218 rate hike process to pay for $1.66 million in water infrastructure improvements. But more than half the district’s ratepayers wrote letters protesting the increases. Now that those protests have been certified by the district’s attorney, the rate hike is dead.
“It’s disappointing, but it’s not the end,” said District Manager Pamela Alvarado.
The anti-rate hike campaign was spearheaded by Tres Pinos resident Bobby Zaucha. He said some locals have criticized him for his opposition, but he still feels like he’s accomplished a lot.
“I feel like the board is now being forced to really look deeper into better solutions, and not just costly solutions,” Zaucha said.
Water district board member Robert Frusetta said the district’s directors should learn from the protests.
“Whatever is done, we need to get community agreement about the goals and problems of our system,” he said.
If the increases had been approved, an average household’s monthly bill would have increased from $29 to $49.50, and without local development, the bill could have increased to $81.85 in 2010. That money would have funded improvements to firefighting water flow and the replacement of aging facilities.
In August, shortly after the protests had been turned in, Alvarado and consultant Doug Dove said the district would go broke without a rate increase. But on Thursday, Alvarado was more optimistic. She said the district is looking at other options to keep the system functional.
Alvarado said it’s too early to announce any specific plans. For one thing, the district has applied for federal grants. But even if it receives the money, funds won’t arrive until fall 2008.
“There were several things in motion before the 218 process, and they’re still in motion,” Alvarado said. “There are always other options.”
The water district is currently under a moratorium on new water and sewer connections – a fact that some have used to criticize controversial plans to build a 44-unit hotel in Tres Pinos – but Alvarado emphasized the moratorium could end soon.
“The repairs and upgrades will happen,” she said.
Frusetta said the district should consider creating a new property tax assessment or proposing a revenue-raising bond measure for the infrastructure project. He said he’s also open to another rate increase, but only if there’s more outreach and discussion first.
“I think that if the board comes back right away with another 218, it’s not going to work,” Frusetta said.
