SHIRLEY KIMBERLIN Everything I list turns to SOLD! 805-886-0228 skimberlin@aol.com
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County investigates water trucking reports
High stakes basketball
BY LEA BOYD
A drought-fueled fervor for protecting local groundwater supplies has led to Santa Barbara County investigations into four potentially illegal water trucking operations. The county is keeping confidential the locations of the four properties whose owners are accused of selling groundwater to Montecitans with thirsty landscaping, but Glenn Russell, director of Santa Barbara County Planning and Development, reported that at least one of the alleged sellers is in Carpinteria Valley Water District. Russell expects that all four investigations will conclude before any violations or fines are issued. “I would characterize them more as educational exercises rather than enforcement exercises,” he said. Selling groundwater from county property zoned for agriculture in the coastal zone is illegal, Russell said. On properties not zoned for agriculture, the activity requires a conditional use permit, the application for which would prompt an environmental review. In the instances reported, a letter was sent to the property owners and a follow up phone call made. “In all these cases, we don’t expect these people to thumb their nose at the county,” Russell said. “These enforcement phases are probably going to end simply after the contact phase.” Should unpermitted operations continue, a notice of violation will be sent, after which the property owner would have 30 days to cease operations or apply for a permit before a fine could be issued. Russell said that water trucking zoning code violations can be more difficult to investigate than typical violations, like an unpermitted home addition. Trucking can take place surreptitiously, reports can be inaccurate and often there is little evidence of the activity. Water District General Manager Charles Hamilton said that, by his rough estimates, water trucking operations have likely pulled between .5 and 2 acre feet of water from local aquifers. “Over the long haul it would be a threat to the basin…,” Hamilton said. “It now is more on the nuisance level.” Locals who have admitted to selling their water have justified it for various reasons. At least one local farmer fallowed his fields and sold the water he would have used for his own crops. Some have allegedly trucked and sold water already used and recycled in nursery operations. Some of the water sold is reportedly high in contaminants that make it unfit for agricultural uses but still useful for landscaping. There is now enough demand for trucked water that Goleta Water District is considering hauling and selling its recycled water. The agency is looking into permitting such an operation, Hamilton said.
ANNETTE SAMARIN
Sarah Luoma, left, and Andrea Russell hold up a Kobe Bryant-signed basketball during the live auction of the Lou Grant Parent-Child Workshop Auction and Lawn Party on Oct. 18. Ultimately the friendly bidding battle for the NBA star’s signature resulted in a new home for the ball and $850 for the Carpinteria preschool. For more photos from the lively lawn party, see page 12.
Cate teacher claims “Let’s Make a Deal” spotlight
Cate School teacher Renee Mack recently became a big fan of “Let’s Make a Deal,” and anyone can view her enthusiasm for the show by tuning in to CBS on Thursday, Oct. 23. Mack went with a group of girlfriends to the taping of the show on Oct. 13 and was approached in her seat by host Wayne Brady, who looked at her and said, “Let’s make a deal.” Though Mack didn’t win a big prize and could not divulge the details of her “deal,” she said that the experience was “great fun.” Dressing up and acting silly is part of the thrill, she reported while recommending that everyone go online to get free tickets and attend a taping at the Sunset Boulevard CBS studio. “The city council should go,” she said. “The AYSO board should go.” The episode featuring Mack is scheduled to air on Oct. 23 at 2 p.m. on channel 12.
SUBMITTED PHOTO
From left, Cate School faculty members Ginger Williams, Marnie Woehr, Patti Judson and Renee Mack.