HELIX WATER TO CONSIDER FEES, CHANGES AT LAKE JENNINGS CAMPGROUND

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East County News Service

August 17, 2016 (La  Mesa) – At today’s 2 p.m. meeting of the Helix Water District Board (7811 University Ave., La Mesa), directors will consider addition of fees and other changes at Lake Jennings, including adding kayak rentals and a tee-pee rental venue at the campground.  These are the latest improvements proposed by a committee led by director Joel Scalzitti.    As a result, the lake that some board  members sought to close due to budget shortfalls is now operating at a profit.  View board package and agenda.

At its last meeting, the board voted 3-2 for hefty rate hikes of 10.1%, effective on water use after  November 1,2016 and billings starting January 1,2017. That action has inspired five challengers to run against two board members who voted for this hefty rate hike as well as earlier recent increases—moves that fueled outrage in public comments and emails sent to the board.

A drought update in the board report shows a 21% reduction in water use since July 2016. But director Kathleen Coates-Hedberg says her own calculations show 18%.

In an e-mail to constituents she writes,”However, just one week before this water use report came out (done in house)…our General Manager & staff said that we need to raise rates over 10% as customers will NOT be using more water than last year and our budget will fall short, thus they went with an estimated cumulative -20%! Joel Scalzitti and I said let’s wait and see…because if we raise rates over 10% people will use less water once their bills come in!” She adds that the district cannot afford to “continue down this death spiral…increase rates, water use lower, lower revenue, budget shortfall, need to increase rates…our customers cannot afford these outrageous rate increases year after year!”

Incumbents John Linden and Chuck  Muse, who voted for the rate hike, face stiff competition in November’s election.

At least two of their competitors, Dan McMillan and Mark Gracyk, have strongly opposed the rate hikes and say they would work to roll back rates. Both have been endorsed by the Grossmont-Mt. Helix Improvement Association, which fought against the rate hikes.

Linden will face three formidable competitors:  Dan McMillan is a former director of the Padre Dam Municipal Water District and San Diego County Water Authority, as well as a director on the San Miguel Consolidated Fire Protection District Board.  Luis “Lu” Tejeda is a retired Helix Water District employee. Aaron Zajac is a calibrator.    

Muse has two challengers: Mark Gracyk, a water manager at the Marine Corps Air Station at Miramar, and Erik Collins, a finance manager.

Director Joel Scalzitti, who voted against the rate hike, is running unopposed. 


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Comments

New Ball Game

So glad to see other qualified competitors stepping up to grab and carry the baton to more conservative, less progressive local governing offices. Thank You!