Not pleased with the water company

The budget passed in June this year is noteworthy because of two items in the capital improvements program, the Westside Conveyance (#10012) and the East-West Pipeline (#10120).

No. 10012 identifies the Calleguas Westside Conveyance for which a request was made for $175,000. This money is for a new pipeline from Calleguas Water District to the Las Virgenes service area.

No. 10120 identifies the East-West pipeline for which a request was made for $4 million. This is for a large diameter pipeline from the site of Las Virgenes intake of water from the Metropolitan Water District for transport of water to Las Virgenes Road.

Either of these two pipelines will serve the same purpose of transporting water into the western parts of the Las Virgenes service area, the latter being much more expensive.

According to the general managers of both districts, necessary study of the Westside Conveyance and negotiation of an agreement between Calleguas and Las Virgenes will require considerable time. Since discussions of the matter have barely begun, the process cannot be completed until sometime after next July, or in next fiscal year (F.Y. 2001-02).

Hopefully the less expensive alternative will prove feasible, in which case the $4 million pipeline will not be necessary. In any event, however, the time needed for negotiation will delay any decision on the East-West pipeline until next fiscal year. Therefore it was improper to have included the $4 million pipeline in the current budget.

Why the general manager would see fit to include that item in this year’s budget one might wonder. This becomes clear when it is realized that the added $4 million in the expense side of the budget brings it up to equal the revenue side, and so makes total expenses equal total revenue.

Budgets, which are prepared under the direction of the general manager, are expected to present the true facts. This budget, however, appears devised to hide the facts.

One must conclude therefore that the budget process of Las Virgenes Water District, under the current general manager, cannot be trusted, either by the directors or by the public.

Betty Bross

Calabasas