In my tenure on the Board of Directors I have been instrumental in reducing property tax rates, keeping the cost of imported water the lowest in the San Gabriel Valley, providing grants and zero interest loans to Monterey Park for the construction of well treatment facilities, supported conservation effort to save over 16 million gallons of water each year and encouraged water recycling.
I have been on the Board since 1989 representing Division 3 which is most of Monterey Park. As the Board President, the Board and I have accomplished at lot but there is still a lot more to do. Here are some of the District achievements under my leadership:
- REDUCED the residents' District property TAX RATE by 40% The property tax rate when I joined the Board was about $0.03 per $100 of assessed valuation. Through my leadership we have gradually reduced this to the current rate of $0.018 per $100. These actions have cut the residents' property tax bill almost in half! And this was NOT at the expense of raising water rates or reducing reserves to unsafe low levels.
- The RATE the San Gabriel MWD charges for imported water is the LOWEST in Southern California -- $130 per acre-ft. By comparison, neighboring cities, not in the San Gabriel Valley MWD, are paying $258 per acre-ft for the same water. This will increase to $294 per acre-ft with Metropolitan's rate increase in January 2009. The City of Monterey Park imports about 3800 acre-ft each year on the average. (An acre-ft will supply about 2 to 3 families with water for a year.) The cost savings to the City this year is $486,000; beginning next year the savings will be $623,000 + a tidy sum of money these days when cities are scrambling for every dime. The $130 rate has remained the same for at least a decade. We have no intention of raising our rates any time soon.
- Recommended, voted for and secured a $1.7 million GRANT AND NO INTEREST loans totaling $3.7 million for the City of MONTEREY PARK to construct water treatment facilities to keep their wells operating and remove VOCs and perchlorate contaminants from the San Gabriel Basin. This action has saved the City and its residents over $1 million in interest plus the $1.7 million grant for a total savings of $2.7 million! This keeps the residents' water rates low.
- Supported a LOW FLOW TOILET program which has given away almost 4000 toilets in Monterey Park over the last 8 years saving the City 16 million gallons of water per year and providing the Mark Keppel Athletic Department with over $61,000 in funds for their work distributing the toilets. This is a "win-win" program for all participants.
- Supported a new contract to SELL OUR "GREEN POWER" generated in our one megawatt hydropower facility to the City of Azusa Power and Light Department under more favorable terms than we received from Edison. I supported a contract to evaluate other "green power" locations on our 42-mile pipeline. Yes, our hydroelectric power is truly "green" power since it replaces a pressure regulating valve on our pipeline. We generate electricity rather than dissipate excess pressure with turbulence.
- SUPPORTED continued involvement in WATER RECLAMATION PROJECTS with the Upper San Gabriel Valley MWD and the extension of the Central Basin MWD's pipeline into Monterey Park to increase our water supply and make us LESS DEPENDENT ON THE DELTA.
- SUPPORTED an increased effort in WATER CONSERVATION AWARENESS through the H2Owl program involving the local schools. Through water conservation we reduce our impact on the Delta and SAVES ENERGY AND REDUCES OUR CARBON FOOTPRINT. Every acre-ft we save reduces crude oil consumption by 5 barrels and reduces carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas) emissions.
- REDIRECTED the DISTRICT'S RESERVES into the State of California Local Agency Investment Fund (LAIF) and U.S. Treasury Notes to optimize return on investment without jeopardizing security. Our role as Directors is, first and foremost, to ensure the safety of the funds and secondly to achieve a reasonable return on the investments. When I joined the Board in 1989 we had literally hundreds of certificates of deposit (CDs), all at $100,000 each in banks scattered throughout the U.S. The Board CHANGED THE DISTRICT'S INVESTMENT POLICY to limit CDs to only California Banks so we can keep better "eye" on them. Currently we have no funds in CDs + probably a very smart decision considering the financial status of some of the banks these days.
- The District is in SOUND FINANCIAL CONDITION; we have ample dedicated reserves for emergencies and operation. As the loans to the cities are repaid, we will have more money available for future loan projects.
We are at a cross-roads in our water supply; increasing population, court decisions on Delta Water exports, and climate change affect our water supply reliability. I want to continue to use my experience to serve the residents of Monterey Park and guide our District in this complex matter by continuing existing programs and developing others as needed. That is why I am seeking re-election.
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