Amador County – The Amador Water Agency board of directors will host a special meeting today to consider staff recommendations to consolidate all of its water systems; and also to form two special tax districts, for the existing Amador Transmission Pipeline, and the planned Gravity Supply Line.

AWA General Manager Gene Mancebo in a report to Directors for today’s special meeting requested the board “approve a revenue plan consisting of a proposed consolidated water rate structure for all Water Agency water systems.” He also requested approval of “a special tax district for potential new customers in the Amador Water System regarding the Amador Transmission Project and water treatment plant improvements.” The Transmission Project is the pipeline from Lake Tabeaud to Tanner water treatment plant.

Mancebo requested the Board approve “a special tax and/or assessment district encompassing both existing and potential new customers in the Central Amador Water Project service area for funding the loan repayment for the proposed Gravity Supply Line Project.”

Mancebo requested “approval for staff to execute consultant agreements to implement the revenue plan with SCI Consulting Group at $142,400 and The Reed Group Incorporated for $121,000,” to begin work, which includes district-wide elections to decide whether to form the two Community Facility District special tax areas.

Director President Don Cooper and Director Robert Manassero, members of ad hoc committees on Financial Planning and Education, reviewed the revenue plan, Mancebo said. The committees were “assigned to investigate the concept of a consolidated water rate structure” for all AWA water systems, “as well as assessments or special taxes for the collection of funds for the debt service on the Amador Water System Transmission Project and the loan repayment obligations for the proposed GSL Project.”

The committees worked with staff and legal counsel and “determined that this approach, on a long-term basis, provides a cost-effective, and a reasonable and fair approach to securing a sound financial position for the operation, improvement and replacement of the water systems,” Mancebo said.

He said it “makes sense” to consolidate expenses shared by water systems into the same base rate. Shared expenses include staff, equipment, chemicals and administration. “Some items unique for some areas” should “be allocated solely to the customers who benefit from them.”

The special meeting is at 1 p.m. today at the AWA office.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.