New Water Rates Go Into Effect Nov. 1

Ramona's water rates will stay the same for customers using treated water, while untreated water could go up as much as 82 cents a unit. The amount of increase will vary among untreated water customers. Sewer rates for both the Santa Maria and San Vicente treatments plants also are going to be higher. The new rates will become effective Tuesday Nov. 1.

“We are constantly monitoring our costs, looking at our agreements,” General Manager David Barnum said at the Oct. 25 meeting of Ramona Municipal Water District. “As an agency, we are doing everything we possibly can to hold down our costs.”

About 40 people turned out to the public hearing which took place at the Community Center during the regularly scheduled district board meeting. Nearly half of them addressed the board with concerns about the proposed rate hike. Most of them were avocado growers or grove owners.

Dena and Lou Marienthal, from Los Angeles, told the directors that agricultural customers may have to leave the area if the untreated water rates become too high.

“If you lose some agriculture customers, the residential customers may not be able to carry the load,” Dena Marienthal said.

The Marienthals own 38.4 acres in Highland Valley where they grow avocados. They also have a larger grove in Fallbrook, where, Dena said, “water is cheaper.”

Lou Marienthal read a letter from their grove manager, who asked the directors to consider what would happen to the community overall if the avocado groves die out.

Escondido grower Edward Grangetto spoke in support of the Ramona growers.

Mike Dillon, a Highland Valley grower, urged the board to continue giving discounts to growers who are members of the Interruptible Agricultural Water Program (IAWP) (formerly the Interim Agricultural Water Program). The discount for certified agricultural water users is passed through RMWD from the Metropolitan Water District (MWD).

Dillon suggested that the district could be in violation of Proposition 218, which governs water rates in the state, if the discounts are not passed along to the growers.

Several others, including Eric Larson, executive director of San Diego County Farm Bureau based in Escondido, also urged the board to keep the IAWP discount.

Another program—Special Agricultural Water Rates—offers discounts for certified agricultural users through RMWD from the County Water Authority.

The final vote keeps the discounts intact, although the Interruptible water use program is scheduled to be discontinued by MWD on Dec. 31, 2012.

Highland Valley resident Bob Hatch expressed his concerns about the untreated water rates: “As a small-time grower, I like to compare apples to apples, or in my case, avocados to avocados. This is like comparing apples to oranges. Don’t take from the minority and give to the majority.”

Former board member Doug Wilsman talked about the origin of the discount program and also compared RMWD to Valley Center, where, he said, “They do it right.”

Other speakers at the public hearing included Jeanine Coffman, Cliff Cope, Serge Drobatschewsky, Donna Dubay, Ben Fastiggi, Robert Huckins, Beth Prinz, Tom Royden, Dennis Sprong and Carl Teyssier.

Attorney John Brown with Best, Best & Kreiger, the firm that represents the district, was in attendance at the board meeting to offer legal advice to the directors.

Sudhir Pardiwala, vice president of Raftelis Financial Consultants out of Pasadena, made a presentation of his company’s suggestions for the district’s water and sewer rates. Raftelis was in charge of conducting the study made on district rates and has been working with RMWD for several years.

During the meeting, the board called for a recess to allow time for Barnum, Brown and Pardiwala to discuss the way the options should be presented to the directors prior to a vote being taken.

When the meeting reconvened after 30 minutes, the board voted to go into closed session, which lasted approximately one hour. Barnum, Brown and Pardiwala joined the directors in the closed session. A roll-call vote on rates was taken in public session.

The board was not unanimous in approving the rates. It passed by 3 to 2, with directors Bryan Wadlington, Darrell Beck and Everett “Red” Hager voting in favor and Joe Zenovic and Kit Kesinger voting against it.

The treated water rate actually decreased by 19 cents a unit; however, the electricity rates for treated water went up by the same amount. That averages out so there will not be any change in charges for treated water customers.

The board voted unanimously on sewer rates and a sewer availability charge.

Sewer rates for Santa Maria Waste Water Treatment Plant will be raised to an annual fee of $562.15. The San Vicente Waste Water Treatment Plant rates will go up to $591.79 annually. Sewer rates are collected through the property tax bills sent out by the county.

The directors also approved continuing a $10 per acre availability charge for properties located within the San Vicente Sewer District, whether or not the customer is hooked into the sewer system. That charge also will appear on the property tax bill.