Amador County – The Amador Water Agency board held a town hall meeting with the Camanche Village Owners Association board last week to discuss the finances of Amador Water District Number 7. It was the first meeting since a January protest by the district stopped a rate increase. The AWA board explained an $800,000 loan to District 7 from the Amador Water System, which the AWA board this year “memorialized.” General Manager Gene Mancebo said 85-100 people attended with lots of questions, interest and concerns for the Lake Camanche service areas. He said the agency will try to improve “communications with property owners, so they have a better handle of what’s going on.” He said after the Proposition 218 protest was successful earlier this year, AWA staff went back to the District 7 budget and “trimmed costs as best could going into this fiscal year.” The budget is balanced now, and there will be no rate increase but “there may be a need for a rate increase later this year.” Mancebo said “it won’t happen until there are a lot more meetings and discussion with the public.” Part of the process will be to share insight, and “take people on tours of facilities, so they see what we are up against.” The board also recently held a special meeting on the La Mel Heights Water District, which Mancebo said “may take on the system working with another agency.” He said “we are not going to leave them in the dark, or out in the cold.” La Mel Heights was the only system budget that the AWA board was not able to balance. Mancebo said: “Even with severe cuts we made, we still may need a rate increase,” not as much as the original 7 percent, but possibly 5 percent. He said they “just could not find a way to balance the budget,” which short by about $11,000. With a total budget of $50,000, Mancebo said it was a significant shortfall of 20 percent.” He said there was “just nothing else to cut.” La Mel Heights has a debt service payment for recent improvements to 95 percent of the system, including a new well, storage tank, distribution lines and hydrants. A partial grant and partial loan paid for the work. The AWA board plans to resume twice monthly meetings and possibly committee meetings, after meeting 3 or more times a month up until the turn of the fiscal year. The board next meets July 22nd. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. -
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Amador County – The Amador Water Agency board held a town hall meeting with the Camanche Village Owners Association board last week to discuss the finances of Amador Water District Number 7. It was the first meeting since a January protest by the district stopped a rate increase. The AWA board explained an $800,000 loan to District 7 from the Amador Water System, which the AWA board this year “memorialized.” General Manager Gene Mancebo said 85-100 people attended with lots of questions, interest and concerns for the Lake Camanche service areas. He said the agency will try to improve “communications with property owners, so they have a better handle of what’s going on.” He said after the Proposition 218 protest was successful earlier this year, AWA staff went back to the District 7 budget and “trimmed costs as best could going into this fiscal year.” The budget is balanced now, and there will be no rate increase but “there may be a need for a rate increase later this year.” Mancebo said “it won’t happen until there are a lot more meetings and discussion with the public.” Part of the process will be to share insight, and “take people on tours of facilities, so they see what we are up against.” The board also recently held a special meeting on the La Mel Heights Water District, which Mancebo said “may take on the system working with another agency.” He said “we are not going to leave them in the dark, or out in the cold.” La Mel Heights was the only system budget that the AWA board was not able to balance. Mancebo said: “Even with severe cuts we made, we still may need a rate increase,” not as much as the original 7 percent, but possibly 5 percent. He said they “just could not find a way to balance the budget,” which short by about $11,000. With a total budget of $50,000, Mancebo said it was a significant shortfall of 20 percent.” He said there was “just nothing else to cut.” La Mel Heights has a debt service payment for recent improvements to 95 percent of the system, including a new well, storage tank, distribution lines and hydrants. A partial grant and partial loan paid for the work. The AWA board plans to resume twice monthly meetings and possibly committee meetings, after meeting 3 or more times a month up until the turn of the fiscal year. The board next meets July 22nd. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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