From the Monterey County Herald MaY 19, 2004 L E T T E R S Study the water bill With little fanfare, Sen. Bruce McPherson's revised water district bill has cleared the state Senate and is headed for an Assembly hearing. This bill would replace the publicity elected members of the water board with the current mayors of the cities within the district's jurisdiction. It would also preclude a public vote on future water projects. In light of the ongoing litigation by Cal-Am to acquire unlimited pumping rights to the Seaside aquifer and the recent petition by the Eastwood, Monterra interests to withdraw from the district's regulatory authority, any diminution of the district's accountability at this time would be highly inimical to the protection of the community's vital water resources. Please contact Assemblyman John Laird and Sen. McPherson and ask that this bill be set aside. Janice M. O'Brien Pebble Beach

5/7/04 - McPherson water bill OK'd by state senate - Carmel Pine Cone A senate bill to replace the directors of the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District with city officials and a county supervisor passed the Senate May 6 on a 24-4 vote, according to Senate Bruce McPherson's Chief of Staff, James Jack. Citing the water district's lack of progress toward a reliable water supply during its quarter-century in existence, McPherson drafted the bill, which would also repeal the requirement that voters approve projects, instead subjecting them to public hearings, and would authorize the board to issue revenue bonds, "without voter approval but subject to referendum by the voters." It would allow a board majority to request an additional "majority vote of the board members representing a majority of the population of the district to pass an ordinance, resolution, or motion," according to the Legislative Counsel's summary. The MPWMD opposes the bill and last month hired a Sacramento lobbyist to fight it. Peninsula mayors, business groups and affordable housing advocates support it, according to Jack. "The Assembly's going to be the hard part, especially if Assemblyman John Laird is actively campaigning against the bill," Jack said. He anticipates it will reach Assembly committees next month.

5/7/04 - SENATE OKs WATER BILL - Monterey Herald The state Senate on Thursday passed Sen. Bruce McPherson's bill to reorganize the board of directors of the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District. The bill now goes on to the Assembly. Passed on a 24-4 vote, Senate Bill 1529 would replace elected directors with mayors from each city in the district and a representative from the Monterey County Board of Supervisors. It would also remove a provision in the district's charter requiring voter ratification of any water project passed by the district. McPherson, R-Santa Cruz, said that requirement has "hamstrung" the board in its mission to establish a new water source. Alfred Diaz-Infante, president of Community Housing Improvement Systems and Planning Association, praised the vote, saying lack of water is the primary reason for the lack of affordable housing in the area. Assemblyman John Laird, D-Santa Cruz, did not return a phone call seeking comment.

4/23/04 - Senate Bill to revamp water board progresses; district hires lobbyist - Carmel Pine Cone  STATE SENATOR Bruce McPherson's bill to replace the water board with mayors and a county supervisor unanimously passed its first Senate committee hearing Wednesday, despite the water district's April 19 decision to hire a lobbyist to fight it. SB 1529, the new version of last year's SB 149, calls for replacing the directors of the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District on a staggered basis as their current terms expire. In addition, the bill would eliminate the requirement that district voters approve water projects, though they could still be asked to approve their financing, and would allow directors to demand a weighted vote based on the populations they represent. In that case, the weighted vote and the regular vote would have to be in the affirmative for a project to be approved. Since the reemergence of the legislation in February, the water board has been poised to oppose it, as it did when the bill was first introduced a year ago. Monday night, directors voted 4-2 to pay Sacramento lobbyist Alan Edelstein $40,000 to fight it. According to acting general manager Fran Farina, board members dislike the bill for several reasons, including its replacement of directors with people "whose positions are unknown" regarding water and the elimination of voter approval of water projects. Director Dave Potter said a lobbyist could do a better job fighting the bill than anyone at the district could, and that directors and staff should focus on finally getting a reliable water supply project in place. "You have to have a constant physical presence in the capital other than the legislators and be able to access decision makers on a very, very quick basis," he told The Pine Cone. That's what a consultant does: He can walk across the street rather than me driving 300 miles." But Potter may still make that trip on occasion. The board also voted to create a legislative committee that includes him and chairman Alvin Edwards, just in case a representative of the district needs to testify. "There's something in the McPherson bill that just about everybody on the board disliked," said Potter, who believes the current board deserves a chance to get a water project in the works before the state decides to revamp its leadership. While he acknowledged SB 1529 has its unattractive aspects, director Larry Foy joined director David Pendergrass in voting against a contract with Edelstein. "I thought hiring the lobbyist was premature," Foy said. He supports getting rid of the public vote on water projects, which he said is unnecessary and unseen in any other special district m the state. If it weren't for that requirement, "the reservoir and desalination projects would have been approved, and we would have a water project in place right now? he said. He agreed with Potter that the current administration deserves a chance to get something done where past boards lave failed. "I am very receptive of a bill that, if we don't have a project and approved EIR in a certain amount of time, then the bill could take effect," he said. Sheryl McKenzie, government affairs director of the Monterey County Association of Realtors, is not so confident in this or any water board's ability to develop a reliable water supply. I would love to think that is the answer, but the problem is that if you look back, we have had stronger pro-project majorities and we still didn't get anything done," she said. "There's something inherently wrong with this board." Lack of progress has driven people to seek a different solution, according to McKenzie. "The mayors brought this to Senator McPherson, and they represent tens of thousands of residents who are tired of not having any water," she said. And the board's decision to hire a lobbyist sends the wrong message. If they really want to cooperate and work with the senator on bringing a project to this community, this isn't the way to go," she said. SB 1529 passed out of the Senate Local Government committee 7-0 on April 21 and is bound for the Senate Committee on Appropriations.