Ocean regarding the consolidation of the Montecito Water and Sanitary districts

Letters to the Editor

A Response to Water and Sanitary Districts Consolidation

Bob Hazard’s recent piece, “Should the Montecito Water and Sanitary Districts Consolidate?” needs a host of corrections, out of respect for the intelligence (and ratepayer costs) of the citizens of Montecito, particularly Water District customers. As part of the “Montecito Water Security Team,” Hazard praises a number of studies – MORE STUDIES – on studies already done, and studies on pie-in-sky projects that will never, ever happen. Montecito Water ratepayers should be asking for an audit on the amount of money MWD is spending on these studies that will go nowhere. For example:

1) Shipping Montecito’s wastewater to Carpinteria for treatment, injecting it into Carpinteria groundwater basin for Indirect Potable Reuse (IPR) purposes, then shipping it back to Montecito can never happen. Because Caltrans will never allow pipes going and coming over such distances – Heal the Ocean struggled with Caltrans to get a short pipe along a frontage road from the Rincon community to the Carpinteria wastewater plant, and it took CA Assembly action to make it happen; CSD Manager Craig Murray has already explained to the consultants doing this incredible study that CSD cannot spend its ratepayer money accommodating ratepayers from another district, his answer is already No; pumps needed to pipe wastewater for such a long, and non-gravity, distance is a huge energy issue that will never be permitted. Yet Hazard praises a $250,000 study that has been initiated by the “Water Security Team” to investigate this. 2) Sanitary Districts run wastewater operations, Water Districts (are supposed to) grapple with water issues. A single board of individuals who are not versed in the unique requirements of each one is futile. Community Service Districts started out that way (including Santa Barbara’s wastewater/ water resources division), they were not formed by hostile takeover. 3) Montecito Sanitary had a pilot recycle plant up and running years ago. The nearby Cemetery (which uses huge amounts of potable water to keep the grass green) wanted that water badly. The “Water Security Team” stopped the project and is now studying a recycled water operation – AGAIN. 4) Desalination. If the Montecito Water District had asked the State Water Board FIRST, before initiating studies for siting a Desal plant in Montecito, they would have saved hundreds of thousands of dollars in studies that went nowhere – because the State does NOT want desal plants up and down the coast. They want regional plants and we already have one, the Charles E. Meyer Desalination Plant in Santa Barbara. Yet MWD spent thousands of dollars for a study of six sites, including: Lookout Park, Summerland; Sheffield left hand turn off from 101; the Miramar Hotel property (before the hotel was built); the Cemetery, and MWD’s own property on upper San Ysidro – all ludicrous. MWD’s answer? “We’re exploring concepts.” They might as well have studied the moon.

Separate agencies have cooperated to build recycled water facilities with state funds. Prop 1 funding was being given out years ago for planning studies. Goleta said yes, Carpinteria said yes (and is now building their recycled water facility), but when it came to Montecito Sanitary District/Montecito Water District cooperating to access these funds, the Sanitary District said yes, and the chairman of the Montecito Water District board of directors said, “Over my dead body!” I was there, and I heard it.

Heal the Ocean’s recommendation is that there be an audit on MWD studies, that the “Water Security Team” be dissolved, and separate district boards be reinstated so that fantasies can stop and real business proceed.

Hillary Hauser

Heal the Ocean

Carpinteria Housing

Kudos to Sharon Byrne for her informative articles about housing. I’ve lived in Montecito and Carpinteria. I’ve seen changes over the decades, but nothing compared to what’s happening now. The rampant push for more housing is, historically, not the answer. There will never be enough housing. We need to act to protect the uniquely special places that are Montecito, Summerland, and Carpinteria.

In Carp right now we have development proposals for both the Bluffs and Bailard’s Organic Farm. The latter is dangling “workforce housing” – which sounds good amidst skyrocketing prices – but “workforce housing” is a buzz word with no clear definition without answering: What is the rental price of each unit proposed? What is the average income of the local workforce? Will 30% of annual income be sufficient to rent the unit? And finally, will this be priced forever at a level that is affordable for our local workforce?

Red Tail Development’s proposal for the north end of Bailard (organic farm selling produce at 12 farmers’ markets and local restaurants) includes 128 units they would like us to believe would be affordable for the workforce, but plans label them “Market Rate” – owned and managed by the Red Tail conglomerate (not the Housing Authority) and able to be rented to anyone at any price.

The ultimate price to the community: the permanent loss of open space and agriculturally significant land in exchange for, well, more people. The City of Carpinteria has officially asked that the project be abandoned for a plethora of reasons, but it is on County land and the proponents are pushing ahead. Montecito and Carpinteria have a common concern of insatiable demand for housing at any cost. Please contact your reps and let them know what you think:

Supervisor Williams: dwilliams@countyofsb.org

Senator Limón: sd19.senate.ca.gov/contact

Assemblymember Bennett: a37.asmdc.org/contact

MONTECITO TIDE GUIDE

Day Low Hgt High Hgt Low Hgt High Hgt Low Hgt

Thurs, April 21 Fri, April 22 Sat, April 23

12:46 AM 5.5 8:39 AM -0.5 4:02 PM 3.0 7:04 PM 2.9 1:52 AM 5.1 10:02 AM -0.4 5:51 PM 3.3 9:08 PM 3.2 3:23 AM 4.7 11:21 AM -0.4 6:47 PM 3.7 11:20 PM 2.9 Sun, April 24 5:02 AM 4.6 12:23 PM -0.4 7:24 PM 4.1 Mon, April 25 12:41 AM 2.3 6:22 AM 4.6 1:12 PM -0.4 7:55 PM 4.5 Tues, April 26 1:37 AM 1.6 7:25 AM 4.7 1:53 PM -0.2 8:23 PM 4.9 Weds, April 27 2:23 AM 0.8 8:18 AM 4.6 2:27 PM 0.0 8:50 PM 5.2 Thurs, April 28 3:04 AM 0.3 9:04 AM 4.5 2:57 PM 0.4 9:15 PM 5.5 Fri, April 29 3:41 AM -0.1 9:47 AM 4.3 3:24 PM 0.8 9:39 PM 5.6

Susie Anderson

Letters Page 184

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