Want Cheaper Water? Don't Call Golden West.

Last night at the Community Center, well over 100 people showed up for an informational meeting on how the community of Felton (CA) and Ojai (CA) wrestled control of their water service from private companies (in the case of Ojai, it was Golden State Water Co.) and STILL ended up saving money -- tons of money, especially when factoring in projected comparative rates over the length of the buy-out loan. [Updated note: With people coming in late, by meeting's end, a good guestimate of attendance was reported to be closer to 200 people.]

Which was surprising since, at first glance, it seemed an impossibility that if your water rates were already gougingly too high that you could pay top dollar for the company and still come out ahead.  Unless, of course, the water company you're buying out ran on the principle of neglecting infrastructure on one end while gouging customers on the other end in order to keep profits rolling in at an investor-pleasing high rate.  With that kind of business model, then, yeah, a buy out deal makes sense.

And, since the PUC runs on the Insane Mad Hatter bureaucratic model -- if water law is Byzantine to the max, the prices set for various water rates truly heads down the rabbit hole.  As some of the citizens of Los Osos have found out, they're paying a whole lot more for their water than their neighbor is.  Literally, their neighbor.  Same water.  Same aquifer.  Different price.  That's the PUC for you.

So 100++ people listened to a handful of very smart, nice speakers (who were key players in their communities' efforts) from Felton and Ojai outlined the hideous, years-long battle they underwent to de-privitize their water -- from careful feasibility studies, to public education, to a nasty election (outspent by Golden State) to tax themselves to pay for the buyout, (both groups won) to now (in the case of Ojai) facing post-election lawsuits from Golden State Water Company which refuses to go gentle into that good night even though a HUGE majority of its customers clearly voted to get them to go away! 

The nice people from Felton and Ojai were  enthusiastic, vowed to help our own Golden West customers in any way they could, and exhorted them to work seriously to make that change.  But I had to wonder if the nice people from Felton and Ojai were aware of how traumatized and exhausted this whole community is from our own 30 years-old Hideous Sewer Wars.  And how, if Golden West's customers who move forward think they'll get anything but lip service from all the CSD Water Customers, they'll be in for a rude shock. While the CSD customers may well sympathize with them, I can't imagine any of them joining in the heavy lift needed to make a buy-out possible.  And if the plans somehow do progress, Golden West customers will have to convince another "publicly owned / municipal" water district to become their provider and that will be . . .?  the CSD. . . ??? . . .  which is already up to its ears in lawsuits and wrangling, facing a small coterie of foes wishing to destroy it altogether, and looking at water rate raises of its own to pay for long-neglected infrastructure repairs.

So, here we sit.  Half our town gouged by their water purveyor while the other half gets "cheaper" water from an entity being stabbed to death.


So, good luck to the good citizens of Golden State Water Company.  I wish them well.  And while all this shakes out, my recommendation is to start retrofitting everything in the house.  Oh, and get out the shovels and get busy xerescaping everything in sight with California natives. It's gonna be a long, long, long, long hot summer, fall, winter, spring, summer . . . .

Want Water? That'll Cost You.

I received the following email with additional information concerning the public meeting, Tuesday, May 6 at 6:30 pm. at the Community Center.  A grassroots group is exploring the possibility of buying out Golden State Water Co. and making it some sort of publicly-owned, non-profit municipal water company.  If you live in the area that Golden State Water serves, you will have noticed your water bills are higher than the customers being served by the CSD water district. So, if you're interested, you might want to attend the meeting and learn more      

Hello Friends and Neighbors,

Tired of high water rates?  Here is the detail for the speakers at the meeting on Tuesday, May 6th at 6:30.  Five hard working experienced professionals from Ojai and Felton have volunteered to share what their communities have done to take control of their water infrastructure.  This is the first time they have appeared at the same place at the same time so there will be a lot of good information and time for questions.  They are driving in from Felton and Ojai to help us understand the process that they went through.  Their objective is to be helpful to shed light on what our future may hold and how we in Los Osos can make the best choices concerning Golden State Water.  They have spent several years gathering information, going through the process and working with their communities to get people to come together.  We hope for a great turnout on Tuesday at the South Bay Community Center so we can hear what they have to say.  Anyone that can video this meeting please contact me.
Please pass this along to anyone you know that is a Golden State rate payer or is interested in what is happening with water services in Los Osos and surrounding communities.

Have a great weekend,

Denise Robson

LOS OSOS FLOW

  Meeting Agenda May 6, 2014

INTRODUCTION LOS OSOS FLOW STEERING COMMITTEE, Tom Wright, Retired professional

3 MINUTES

GUEST SPEAKERS:

FELTON FLOW

JIM GRAHAM, STEERING COMMITTEE REPRESENTATIVE:  Felton successfully bought out their private water company, Cal AM, and got lower rates.

What they had to do and the obstacles to buy-out their for profit water company: 10 min, 10 min Q&A.

OJAI FLOW

PAT MCPHERSON, - STEERING COMMITTEE CHAIR.

Retired co-founder and VP marketing of an international electronics engineering and manufacturing company in Carpinteria, past board member of Santa Barbara County Federal Credit Union, Chair of Sustainable Ojai’s Solar Power Group, Former Board member of the Ojai Valley Defense Fund, former secretary of a mutual water company in the Sierra’s, and a community activist.

Introduction: 5 MINUTES

RICHARD HAJAS, STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBER

Over 30 years’ experience managing the operations and finances of local water agencies. Managed the operations of the Casitas Municipal Water District (Casitas) as Assistant General Manager and served as the General Manager of the Camrosa Water District in Camarillo for 15 years. Most recently provided budgeting, planning, and rate design consulting services to the Meiners Oaks Water District. Richard wrote the Ojai FLOW feasibility study that was used to gather signatures and later as the model by Casitas.

What Ojai FLOW has done in preparation to buy-out Golden State operations in Ojai: 30 min, 10 min Q&A

LOU TORRES C.P.A., STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBER

Certified Public Accountant and Tax & Business consultant in Ojai and past Treasurer of both the Rotary Club of Ojai West and Rotary Club of Ojai West Foundation, Inc. which is a not for profit organization.

Ojai FLOW Structure and reporting requirements: 10 min. including Q & A.

RYAN BLATZ J.D. STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBER

Local attorney, grew up in Ojai, and experience organizing volunteer groups. Instrumental in establishing Class Action Status for a damage suit against the Golden State Water Company.

Discuss Multi-million dollar Class Action suit against Golden State:  15 Min, 5 min Q & A

WE NEED YOUR HELP.  MAIL DONATIONS AND QUESTIONS TO LOSOSOSFLOW P.O.BOX 6931 LOS OSOS CA 93402

WEBSITE: LOSOSOSFLOW.NET,  FACEBOOK: LOSOSOSFLOW,  VOLUNTEER DONATE

      (Funds from donations are to be deposited into the account of Los Osos Flow, a political action committee.  Funds are used
for community reach out, education, research &  printing costs.  All expenses are subject to approval by Los Osos Flow committee members.)