Amador County – The Amador Water Agency board of directors voted 4-0 Monday in a special meeting to authorize its general manager to proceed with all items identified in a staff report last week that are required to satisfy a list of USDA conditions for grant funding for the proposed Gravity Supply Line.
The board also allocated $50,000 from the agency General Reserves to fund costs other than salaries and benefits to do the staff work. The USDA conditions are for tasks to complete in order to quality for a USDA Rural Development grant and loan for the Gravity Supply Line in the Central Amador Water Project service area.
Critics of the GSL, including Ratepayer Protection Alliance members Ken Berry and Bill Condrashoff called it a “boondoggle.” Condrashoff asked how much money they have spent to date on the GSL and what was the cost of labor that they were going to approve.
AWA General Manager Gene Mancebo said the AWA board has spent $1.3 million on the GSL. Board President Gary Thomas said there was $900,000 spent on the GSL “before you and I took these seats,” referring to Condrashoff’s stint on the board. Thomas said “this is the project” or there is the do-nothing project, or fix what you’ve got.
Berry said the GSL was built on “false premises” when “you buy into the nonsense argument your general manager makes.” Mancebo said “this project saves money” over the cost of fixing existing facilities.
District 3 Director Rich Farrington said “the GSL is the action that’s needed,” and the Reed Group’s analysis shows it is the best way to go. He pointed out that the Amador County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution 5-0 supporting and encouraging the development of the GSL project.
Thomas asked about answers to questions Condrashoff raised last week, when directors discussed the GSL, and a related Community Facilities District that they AWA plans to put in place in the Central Amador Water Project to fund the GSL. Mancebo told Thomas that he did not have the answers ready Monday.
Condrashoff said the money sunk could have been spent on refurbishing the existing system. Farrington said staff estimates show that the GSL is cheaper than fixing the existing system. Thomas said the GSL “beats solar, it beats everything.”
The board voted 4-0 to have staff resume work, which includes trying to extend agreements on right-of-way easements for the GSL path. Mancebo said “we’ll work with property owners” and if they get the easement agreements renewed “it could result in savings” for returning to the preferred route of the Gravity Supply Line.
Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
