Amador County – The Amador Water Agency on Wednesday verified that a Proposition 218 protest of a rate increase in the Central Amador Water Project service area was successful. AWA Board Clerk Cris Thompson said she had “finished the verification of signatures for the CAWP rate protest and have determined that this was in fact a successful protest with 1,396 verified signatures.” The signatures were presented in a July 1st meeting. At least one staff member answered with a call for an immediate request for another rate increase in CAWP. In an e-mail Wednesday AWA construction, distribution, canal, and fleet manager Barry Birge said he planned to “immediately request another rate increase on the CAWP system” and finalize rate increases in Lamel and Camanche systems as soon as possible. Birge sent the email to the AWA board of directors and department heads with photographs of multiple ruptures discovered last week in a CAWP water storage tank. With it was a photo from more than a year ago showing the worst of many corrosion-damaged areas on the tank. Birge at the time “requested replacement of this tank,” but it never happened “due to major budget reductions to prevent future rate increases.” Last Thursday (July 15th) the same spot on the tank had water jetting from several rusted holes. Wood, washers, and bolts plugged the holes and Birge said CAWP has “no budget for proper repairs and/or replacements.” The agency has “had a strategic plan in place for years,” he said, but “always struggled to have a budget to support distribution system improvements recommended by staff.” Birge said AWA “passed a death sentence to the CAWP distribution system by not raising the rates.” The AWA board July 1st approved a budget without a rate increase in CAWP, expecting the Prop. 218 protest to succeed. Birge said, “While times are tough right now there has been and always will be an excuse or reason not to raise rates” saying it is “usually political.” He called CAWP an “antiquated, undersized, piecemealed distribution system.” Birge said in his 30-year professional opinion, “we are not doing our job as water purveyors to address the needs and demands of our water systems.” He said in today’s meeting (Thursday, July 22nd) he would urge the board to implement the original, already adopted, 4 percent rate increase for Amador Water System. He said the rate increase would “help ensure that we don’t hand out another death sentence on the most antiquated system that is under the agency’s control.” Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Thursday, 22 July 2010 06:18
AWA Verifies CAWP Rate Protest Successful, Staff Says System is Antiquated
Amador County – The Amador Water Agency on Wednesday verified that a Proposition 218 protest of a rate increase in the Central Amador Water Project service area was successful. AWA Board Clerk Cris Thompson said she had “finished the verification of signatures for the CAWP rate protest and have determined that this was in fact a successful protest with 1,396 verified signatures.” The signatures were presented in a July 1st meeting. At least one staff member answered with a call for an immediate request for another rate increase in CAWP. In an e-mail Wednesday AWA construction, distribution, canal, and fleet manager Barry Birge said he planned to “immediately request another rate increase on the CAWP system” and finalize rate increases in Lamel and Camanche systems as soon as possible. Birge sent the email to the AWA board of directors and department heads with photographs of multiple ruptures discovered last week in a CAWP water storage tank. With it was a photo from more than a year ago showing the worst of many corrosion-damaged areas on the tank. Birge at the time “requested replacement of this tank,” but it never happened “due to major budget reductions to prevent future rate increases.” Last Thursday (July 15th) the same spot on the tank had water jetting from several rusted holes. Wood, washers, and bolts plugged the holes and Birge said CAWP has “no budget for proper repairs and/or replacements.” The agency has “had a strategic plan in place for years,” he said, but “always struggled to have a budget to support distribution system improvements recommended by staff.” Birge said AWA “passed a death sentence to the CAWP distribution system by not raising the rates.” The AWA board July 1st approved a budget without a rate increase in CAWP, expecting the Prop. 218 protest to succeed. Birge said, “While times are tough right now there has been and always will be an excuse or reason not to raise rates” saying it is “usually political.” He called CAWP an “antiquated, undersized, piecemealed distribution system.” Birge said in his 30-year professional opinion, “we are not doing our job as water purveyors to address the needs and demands of our water systems.” He said in today’s meeting (Thursday, July 22nd) he would urge the board to implement the original, already adopted, 4 percent rate increase for Amador Water System. He said the rate increase would “help ensure that we don’t hand out another death sentence on the most antiquated system that is under the agency’s control.” Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.Latest from
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