Water element gains steam

By Joel Metzger | Posted: Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Joint agency effort urged

After a failed initial attempt to add a water element into Calaveras County’s general plan, General Manager Mitch Dion of the Calaveras County Water District hopes to breathe new life into the
effort.

“The water element is essential because water is closely tied to economic growth and development, and it also is an underpinning of predictability of economic development in the community,” Dion said. “They are very mutually aligned, and the water element needs to be in direct support of the county’s land-use plan.”

Rebecca Willis, Calaveras County planning director, said incorporating a water element into the general plan at this point could only happen if the Board of Supervisors allocated more funding,
staff and time.

That said, she doesn’t see a problem with the water and sewer utilities collaborating under the county’s guidance to come up with an element that could be added to the general plan at a later
date.

Dion is on the same page.

“The water element is really dependent on the utilities to provide the technical expertise,” he said. “It’s important the county is involved enough that it plugs into the general plan well. I think the overarching coordination is good.”

A process such as this takes organization, collaboration and time, all of which Dion hopes to foster. He doesn’t want CCWD to “lead” the process, but he wants to help get the show on the
road.

“What I really want to do is make sure everybody comes to the table with mutual respect and levels of authority,” Dion said. “I think we can move fairly rapidly. We do have a base document
to work from.”

If all goes according to plan, Dion believes a water element could be prepared in less than 12
months.

The “base document” to which Dion referred is what came of a failed water element effort in
2011. The Board of Supervisors approved the addition of a water element in 2008 and instructed county staff, water and wastewater agencies and other public and private interests to come together in a collaborative process to draft the element.

Those that participated were: Blue Lake Spring Mutual Water Company; Calaveras County Community Development Agency; Calaveras County Environmental Management Agency; Calaveras County Taxpayers Association; Calaveras County Water District; Calaveras Planning Coalition; Calaveras Public Utility District; Central Sierra Environmental Resource Center; City of Angels; Mineral Mountain Estates Mutual Water Association; Mokelumne Hill Sanitary District; myvalleysprings.com; private citizens; San Andreas Sanitary District; Snowshoe Springs Association; Union Public Utility District; Utica Power Authority; Valley Springs Public Utility District; Wallace citizens serving residents; and Wallace Community Service District.

Two consulting firms were paid for by CCWD in the development of the element.

The element is required to address six concerns by state law, but additional concerns can also be
outlined in the element.

Willis said the draft element prepared two years ago was not recommended because of language. It gave the county responsibilities over areas of the county where it had no jurisdiction, Willis
said.

“This language is ambiguous,” she said. “Staff feels we would be able to develop more effective policies and implementation measures with the water element if we are not handcuffed to ‘the County shall’ format.”

Willis concluded the majority of the element should be included within the land-use element of the general plan, and other issues would be better addressed with a follow-up to the general plan.

At the latest board meeting, District 2 Supervisor Chris Wright asked Willis if the water element could be discussed. She deferred and said she was coming back to the board and that it would be a more appropriate time to discuss all the elements and a revised timeline for the general plan’s completion.
Willis indicated she would support a new effort to complete a water element as long as the board was behind it and her staff had adequate funding and time to work on the element with utilities throughout the county.

The first meeting among utilities has yet to be arranged, but Dion is eager to increase the pressure
on this issue.

“I hope to have a date for the first meeting soon,” he said. “I’ll buy the cookies and coffee.”