LAFCO petition (JPG, PDF, online) Show quick index of PIRs.
Posted by Concerned CSA70W-1 Customer.
As stated on the main website pages, County Special Districts (SDD) has raised the water rates for CSA70W-1 for 12 consecutive years since 2001. Further, there was every reason to believe that SDD would have raised the water rates for CSA70W-1 this year, except that the outcry from our community caused them to rethink their strategy.
But the madness doesn't stop there. The water rates also change significantly from one special district to the next. You can see this for yourself by looking at SDD's FY 2012 (1 July 2012 to 30 June 2013) rate increases for CSA70W-1 (us) and CSA64 (Spring Valley). Then, to top it off, SDD has even rolled back rates for CSA64 while continuing to stick it to us (SDD rates for all special districts for FY 2014).
I first found out about this disparity in Dec 2006, requested details from Mr. Bruce Davis to prove that CSA70W-1 water charges were justifiable then, and have been stonewalled ever since (see the full record of my Dec 2006 request).
Specifically, while CSA70W-1 water rates were, at the time, a $19.90 monthly service charge for water (3/4" meter) and a $3.22 per HCF water usage charge for the lowest tier, CSA64 water rates were an $8.20 monthly service charge (3/4" meter) and a $0.50 per HCF water usage charge for the lowest tier.
It was because of the huge disparity in the water usage charges, $3.22 per HCF for CSA70W-1 vs. $0.50 per HCF for CSA64, as well as CSA64 (Spring Valley Lake in Victorville) being only 65 miles from, and in the same Mojave high desert area as CSA70W-1 (Landers), that I requested, from Mr. Bruce Davis, details to prove that CSA70W-1 water charges were justifiable.
At the time, Mr. Bruce Davis was the Yucca Valley staff representative for Mr. Dennis Hansberger, who was the County Supervisor for the 3rd District, which includes Landers. That staff position is currently occupied by Mr. Mike Lipsitz at (760) 366-1488 in Joshua Tree and Mr. James Ramos is now the County Supervisor for the 3rd District.
Mr. Davis promptly returned a response that, in summary, said: "put up and shut up." Obviously, I didn't accept that non response from Mr. Davis and again asked Mr. Davis to get me a proper response (see the full record of my Dec 2006 request). Thus began the stonewalling that I received and that still continues today.
About 5 days after my second email to Mr. Davis requesting that he justify CSA70W-1 water rates, I received a phone call from Mr. Manuel Benitez. This was my first contact with Mr. Benitez. As I had asked Mr. Bruce Davis, I asked Mr. Benitez to justify CSA70W-1 water rates and received in response an email from Mr. Jared Beyeler with a PDF file that gave me a little information but that still didn't justify CSA70W-1 water rates.
And so began the ongoing stonewalling that continues to this day and that I have received regarding CSA70W-1 water rates. Much more is available here, including lots of flim-flam and other hand weaving nonsense, so be sure to take a complete tour of this website and check back often.
Last updated 19 June 2014.