Meeting of Yucaipa and Cherry Valley Water Districts along with the City of Beaumont
By: Libi Uremovic | Original Article at patch.com
The Boards and Councils from the City of Beaumont, Yucaipa Valley Water District, and the Beaumont-Cherry Valley Water District met today to tour a ‘real’ state-of-the-art wastewater treatment facility.
The Yucaipa Valley Wastewater Treatment Plant is hidden between two canyons, isolated from the populace. The extremely clean plant is operating at 4MGD, but Yucaipa has already built the capacity of 8MGD. (million gallons daily) The Plant also has the ability to be expanded to 12MGD.
After the tour BCVWD Manager Eric Fraser told the audience of the ‘master plan’; which is for the Water District to take over Beaumont’s Sewer Plant, transfer the sewage to Yucaipa, and eventually close down Beaumont’s Sewer Plant.
Overall; It is the best and perhaps only option for the Citizens of Beaumont.
With the Water District in control of the Plant, the sewer fees will go to the Water District instead of Urban Logic’s pocket. Eric Fraser will be able to hire honest Staff for a fraction of the current costs.
The City of Beaumont can’t get bond debt, have already added sewer fee increases, gave away their Mitigation Fees, and every house in the developments has Mello Roos Bond Debt. It would be impossible for the City to get any funding and they couldn’t be trusted with funding if they received it.
On the other hand; the if the Water District was in control of the Sewer Plant they would quality for State and Federal Funding and would charge their own Mitigation Fees to the Developers.
The downside is that it would bring sewer to the Pass Area for everyone – including warehouses.
The Citizens of Beaumont are very luck that Yucaipa and the Cherry Valley Water District had the foresight to realize that Beaumont’s Sewer Plant was not salvageable and planned ahead.
Approximately $100 Million has been collected for Beaumont’s Sewer Plant through Bond Debt, Mitigation Fees, and Taxes. All of the money is gone and abandoning the Plant is the City’s best option.
Keirnan McKiernan from Urban Logic was at the Tour; protecting his interests. If the Water District takes over Beaumont’s Sewer Plant Eric Fraser will kick Urban Logic out the door before the ink is dry on the Agreement.
The only reason Beaumont’s Council would not go along with the Agreement would be to continue Urban Logic’s revenue stream at the expense of the Citizens.
If Beaumont City Council were smart they would release the Sewer Plant to the Water District as soon as possible to relieve the City of the burden and let Fraser take over.
But Beaumont City Council are not known for smarts, so let’s see how long this drags out.