LAFCO has the power of deciding whether a special district can expand, or even if one gets started. The reason we have so many little districts is because there was no LAFCO until the last few years. In reading the comments sent back to Mr. Benoit from all of these little districts after he made recommendations, it is clear to see that there is BIG trouble in LITTLE districts.
If Benoit is brave enough to recommend that a small district would be better off becoming part of CCWD (Calaveras County Water District) is like declaring war. It is obvious that these little "kingdoms" only care about keeping their "power" and not about the future of residents of Calaveras.
Of course, CCWD is the big guy who was voted into being in the 1960's and receives 1% of all property taxes whether or not they provide that property with water or not. Thus began a long and steady battle for water rights, power of the kingdom and constant bickering.
We wish Benoit luck; he's going to need it! Just reading through the comments he received back from each district you can see that there is a great FEAR of CCWD taking over their kingdom and you can feel distrust and perhaps even a loathing for the BIG guy.
LAFCO meets on May 21 in 7 PM at the Board of Supervisors chambers at government center in San Andreas. The final draft MSR is on the agenda for review by the public. More details in other news reports. They should be filming their meetings for Public Access channel 9.
1 comment:
Are the people of Calaveras County entitled to an unbiased discussion of water rights? A discussion of water rights in Calaveras County would require a sufficiently detailed summary of the nature and extent of surface water rights, particularly pre-1914 and post-1914 appropriative rights, in order that the policy makers could understand: How much water is available? What purposes may be made of the water? At what locations within the County the water may realistically be put to use? Who holds the water rights?
A water supply assessment would show that there are significant contractual as well as legal limitations on the quantities and locations where water may be put to beneficial use, the Final Draft Water Element as it stands now provides an inadequate context for its review of the water services provided by the various public agencies and private water companies in Calaveras County.
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