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Ramona water board elects new president

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At their Feb. 9 meeting, Ramona Municipal Water District directors elected a new officer slate and heard plans for an updated water rate study that may lead to no water rate increase this year.

Director Thomas Ace, a retired fire chief who was appointed to the Division 3 seat in April 2015 after it was vacated by Arnie Cares, was elected president. He was nominated by Director George Foote, who said, “We have some new blood on the board...and some of this new blood is very talented.”

Foote said he was impressed with Ace’s reports on fire department services.

Darrell Beck, 2015 board president, was elected vice president, nominated by Director Jim Hickle, who noted that Beck worked well with Ace on the fire ad hoc committee. The board voted to maintain Hickle as treasurer and elected Director Joe Zenovic as secretary. The election had been postponed from the January meeting when only four of the five board members were present.

During the half-hour meeting, staff presented a proposal to update the Water Facilities Plan and Water Rate Study that was done in 2011 by Raftelis Financial Consultants.

David Barnum, the district’s general manager, said if they begin the process this month the updated water rate study should be completed around June 2017.

He said for 2016 “most likely we wouldn’t go forward with a rate increase. We would be basically looking at our existing rate fund.” Barnum later told the Sentinel it is the district’s hope to keep rates the same this year.

After the study is completed in 2017, staff will bring potential rate adjustments back to the board, said Barnum.

Three steps will be involved in the process. First, Dudek Engineering, the firm contracted by the district for engineering services, will update the water model — estimated to take three months — so staff can evaluate any water system deficiencies. After that will be a water facilities plan update, expected to take six months, to define near-term projects required to support the water system’s operation. Last will be a water rate study by a consultant, anticipated to take nine months.

The estimated $20,000 for the water model update is covered in the current budget’s water fund, and costs of subsequent steps will be provided as they are better defined, said staff.

No board action was required, but Hickle noted that he has had experience with such types of studies and said, “I think of it as a cost-savings measure.”

In other business, the board authorized the general manager to award a construction contract for a water valve replacement project to M-Rae Engineering Inc., which was the lowest bidder at $106,470. The project calls for replacing 10 valves, installed in 1958 — five at San Vicente Road and Hanson Lane, and five at Hanson Lane and Keyes Road. About $150,000 is in the current budget for the project, said staff.

Zenovic asked if staff could could perform the work. Water Operations Manager Joe Lomeli said his staff is down two employees and it would take longer, plus traffic control will be needed. Lomeli said they will notice water customers in that area and hope to have minimum water shutdown. Because the sites are near schools, Lomeli said they will try to schedule work when school is not in session.

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