Option 2 is the Only Rational Choice for the Good of the Citizenry.
On June 7, 2016, the Beaumont City Council paid $155,790.00 to Webb and Associates to prepare a Treatment Plant Expansion/Salt Mitigation Feasibility Study: http://www.ci.beaumont.ca.us/DocumentCenter/View/27665
The Feasibility Study will be presented to Council on October 4, 2016 Beaumont City Council Meeting: http://www.ci.beaumont.ca.us/DocumentCenter/View/28402
The Feasibility Study presents two Options:
Option 1. $93,025,000: City maintains control of Sewer Plant and pays for Expansion of Facility from 4MGD to 6MGD, Recycled Water Facility, and Brine Disposal.
Option 1 includes a Brine Discharge Pipeline to the Brine Line in San Bernardino. The City of Beaumont lost this opportunity and is no longer an option. Page 3 of the Study says:
“Connection to the IEBL by the City of Beaumont will require special permission by Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority (SAWPA) and OCSD because Beaumont is not within the IEBL service area.”
Benefits of Option 1 are:
1. “Rate Impact to Customer less under Option 1”. The entire rate study is fictitious, it doesn’t take into account that YVWD will not steal the money, and since when does the City of Beaumont care about the Customer?
2. “Allows the City of Beaumont and its residents to retain control of the wastewater plant.” This is not a benefit. The Plant is deteriorated to the point that it is a liability to the Citizens because their Elected and Appointed Officials will not stop stealing the money.
3. “Allows the City to maintain control over future wastewater treatment costs and charges to its residential, commercial, and industrial customers.” Again, not a benefit to the Citizenry. The City has illegally raised rates and forged Sewer Documents.
4. “Allows the City to better control future development through its Wastewater distribution and treatment system.” Better control? The City has had total control, which is why the Plant is in a deteriorated condition.
5. “Assist the General Fund..” And that’s the bottom line. The Sewer Plant is an easy conduit to steal money.
6. “Allows the City to benefit from recycled water sales once improvements are completed and recycled water becomes available.” The City has been stealing the money collected to build a Title 22 Compliant Recycled Water Facility since 1993. The last time ‘Council Approved’ transferring $5 Million out of the Sewer Fund and into the General Fund was September 6, 2016.
The Challenges of Option 1 are Money and Corruption.
The City of Beaumont has already collected over $70 Million for an expansion and to build a ‘state of the art’ recycled water facility, but stole all of the money and never built the facility.
The City can’t acquire a Bond; the last Sewer Bond was Called in December, 2014, after it was disclosed that all the money was stolen and the Facility was never built.
The Beaumont City Council can’t illegally ‘Approve’ another sewer fee increase; they already ‘Approved’ a Sewer Fee Increase in violation of Prop 218 On March 5, 2013. On September 6, 2016 the Council Approved transferring $5 Million collected from the Sewer Fund to the General Fund.
The current City Council ‘Approved’ submitting Forged Government Documents to the Santa Ana Water Quality Control Board, refuses to follow State Open Bid Contract and Construction Laws, can not produce Audited Financial Statements, and refuses to submit a legal CEQA EIR.
Option 2 Regionalization Control – Delivering All Wastewater to Yucaipa Valley Water District (YVWD)
“This option removes the City of Beaumont from the sewer business and turns all customers, infrastructure, and service responsibilities to YVWD.”
Option Cost to City: $0.00, but that’s not what the Report says. The Report claims that releasing the Sewer Plant will cost $180,658,000.
This Option 2 costs include $109,20,000 to expand the YVWD from 8 mgd to 14 mgd. The total cost to build the YVWD Sewer and Recycled Water Facility was only $73 Million. The preliminary Infrastructure is already in place for an expansion up to 16 mgd.
But more importantly; ALL of the Cost and Actions in Option 1 will be the City of Beaumont’s responsibility and NONE of the Cost and Actions in Option 2 will be the responsibility of the City.
By October 10th the City of Beaumont must make a plan to repay the now $65 Million in TUMF stolen from the WRCOG, but has no money saved or budgeted. The City needs to build three Fire Stations and repair the roadways, but has no plans to build necessary Infrastructure.
Option 2 is the only rational choice. The City does not have the money needed for Option 1, can not acquire the money needed, and would steal any money they acquired.