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NOV. 8, 2013
THE COAST NEWS
Carlsbad residents to Council elects to raise U-T buys local papers water rates in Oceanside see price of water go up By Tony Cagala
By Promise Yee
OCEANSIDE — Oceanside passed water and wastewater rate increases with one no vote from Councilwoman Esther Sanchez Nov. 6. Increases cover Metropolitan Water District pass through increases for the cost of water, and city costs for water infrastructure and its maintenance. Customer rate increases were not even across the board. A cost of service study found that different water user groups use different portions of water than previously determined in 2007. Rate increases to go into effect in January reflect changes to the fixed charge per user group. Oceanside single family residential customers
A water increase is brutal at this time.” Nancy White Oceanside Resident
will see no or minimal increase in rates. A medium use single family residential customer with a monthly water bill of $62.84 will pay four cents more per month. The same customer with a wastewater bill of $56.76 will see a monthly bill decrease of 48 cents. Multifamily, commercial and agriculture customers’ rates will go up by a greater percent. A medium use multifamily residential customer paying $525.09 for water will see a $62.29 monthly increase. The same customer paying $575.81 for wastewater will have to shell out $71.23 more a month. All speakers at the council meeting protested the increases. Some signed a majority protest form
stating so. “I’m the average Joe Blow resident,” Nancy White, Oceanside resident, said. “A water increase is brutal at this time. It’s an annual event coming in and speaking to you. My grass is dead, I recycle rainwater.” Agriculture and multifamily customers opposed their rates going up more than other groups. “I’m opposed to this,” Michelle Castellano Keeler, vice president of Mellano & Company flower growers, said. “We’re singled out paying the highest increase.” Dale explained that tiered rates for different customer user groups are consider best practices as long as they are based on rate of service, which Oceanside follows. Carlsbad, Del Mar and San Diego also have tiered water rates. Programs to assist agriculture users with water rates, and help residential users with water conservation efforts were shared. Councilwoman Esther Sanchez spoke on behalf of multifamily customers, which include mobile home owners. She suggested rate increases be phased in, as the city has done in the past. Water utilities director Cari Dale said phasing in the cost and implementation of self-reliant water projects that will be discussed in January can be considered at that time. Proposed water and wastewater rates cover current city costs. U t i l i t i e s Commissioner Jimmy Knott, who is also a mobile home owner and proponent of the mobile home community, supported the rate increases at the council meeting and previous water workshop on Oct. 23. Knott said every penny of the increase provides water and service. “Every dime was TURN TO WATER RATES ON A18
By Rachel Stine
CARLSBAD — Acknowledging that the city is at the mercy of the SDCWA (San Diego County Water Authority), City Council reluctantly authorized a raise in potable and wastewater rates over the next two years. Consultants hired by the city came before City Council at their Nov. 5 meeting to propose changes to the potable water rate tier structure as well as a five percent annual revenue increase for potable water for the Carlsbad Municipal Water District through rate increases in 2014 and 2015. They also recommended a two percent increase in sewer, known as wastewater, rates in 2014 and again in 2015. Recycled water rates would stay the same. The actual cost increases resulting from the new
tier structure and the higher potable water and wastewater rates will vary for ratepayers based on how much water they use and whether the water is being delivered to a home or business. The consultants attributed the increased cost for potable water to the raised water costs from SDCWA, the only source that the city can purchase its water from. The higher wastewater rates were deemed necessary to cover the rising costs of the collection and maintenance of wastewater due to inflation. Numerous residents protested the increases. The city received 23 letters against the new rates and two people spoke at City Council to voice their opposition. Carlsbad resident Dan TURN TO RATES ON A23
REGION — On Monday, U-T San Diego finalized a deal with MainStreet Communications to purchase eight local community newspapers. The U-T announced on Nov. 1 that it would be purchasing a group of papers, including the Del Mar Times, Rancho Santa Fe Review, Poway News Chieftan, the Ramona Sentinel, Carmel Valley News, La Jolla Light, Rancho Bernardo & 4S Ranch News Journal, and the Solana Beach Sun. According to reports, the move was made as a part of “a larger effort to expand hyperlocal news for the county.” No financial details of the deal have yet been released. Phyllis Pfeiffer, who served as the publisher of the MainStreet group of papers, will now serve as the general manager and vice president of the newly created U-T Community Press division. Neither Pfeiffer, nor MainStreet Communications’
Senior Vice President and COO Stephen P. Staloch returned calls for comment. The Coast News Group, which publishes The Coast News and the Rancho Santa Fe News, remains one of the few independently owned newsgroups in the county. Jim Kydd, publisher and owner of the Coast News Group said he isn’t sure whether the recent purchase will be a good thing or a bad thing for his newspapers. “On the plus side for us, the U-T seems to be neglecting coverage previously provided by the recently purchased North County Times,” Kydd said in a statement. “This has helped us, and we are moving to provide more coverage and circulation in these areas. I have even been approached to start a new daily to fill the void, which I have no plans to do.” The U-T purchased the North County Times in October 2012 and has since dissolved the paper.
City limits permit comments to traffic woes By Bianca Kaplanek
DEL MAR — City Council unanimously agreed at the Nov. 4 meeting to again weigh in on events allowed on property east of the Del Mar Fairgrounds, but comments will be limited to how those uses impact traffic rather than the nearby wetlands. The 22nd District Agricultural Association, which governs the stateowned facility, submitted two permit applications to the California Coastal Commission, one of which seeks authorization for continued use of what is known as the east overflow lot for temporary events, such as the pumpkin patch and Christmas tree sales. It also includes a request for future, unspecified events and temporary structures to facilitate them, as well as a paved bus lane and trail parking along the south overflow lot, which the 22nd DAA is currently restoring to wetlands. The applications were
submitted in response to requirements of consent orders issued by the Coastal Commission in 2012 to address previous fairgrounds activity that occurred without approval. The consent orders are part of a settlement agreement between the 22nd DAA, Del Mar, Solana Beach and the San Dieguito River Valley Joint Powers Authority. Council members Lee Haydu and Don Mosier worked with the 22nd DAA Community Relations Subcommittee to draft comment letters submitted to the Coastal Commission for its Nov. 13 meeting. The letters state general support for the applications but express concerns about traffic impacts from existing events at the fairgrounds and additional problems that could result from more activities there. “Part of this concern stems from the fact that the (permit) application provides only limited information on the frequency, dura-
tion and anticipated attendance levels of the events for which Commission authorization is requested,” one letter states. The letter also reiterates the concern that the current reliance on traffic control practices rather than improvements and other mitigation measures fails to meet the demands for existing conditions, let alone for more events. While cones and attendants help keep traffic flowing to and from the site, they consistently fail during major events, according to the letter. A comprehensive traffic plan and physical improvements to traffic lanes and parking areas are needed, as is a change in the way parking fees are collected because backups are now common at collection points, the letter states. Although the city encourages bus use, there are concerns about the safety of the proposed bus lane.
“It is unclear how westbound buses would cross the heavily travelled eastbound travel lanes of Jimmy Durante,” the letter states. The letters don’t differ much from ones sent for the commission’s October meeting, during which the hearing on one permit was continued after several speakers requested the southern third of the east overflow lot be restored because a recent study indicates there are more wetlands there. Since then, the stakeholders met to work out a compromise. Coastal Commission staff will recommend at the Nov. 13 meeting that the 22nd DAA place the area under a conservation easement immediately and phase out use within 10 years. There is also a requirement to transfer title of a 4.5-acre parcel south of the horse park east of Interstate 5 to a commission-approved entity. At the November Del TURN TO COMMENTS ON A23