HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 06091987 - 1.17 TO BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
FROM: Phil Batchelor Contra
County Administrator Costa
DATE'. June 3, 1987 County
SUBJECT:
Legislation: Assembly Bill 1439 (O' Connell)
SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(_S) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
RECOMMENDATION:
Adopt a position in support of AB 1439 by Assemblyman O' Connell
which would place on the ballot in 1988 a bond issue in the
amount of $200 million to finance a program of aid in the
planning, design and construction of domestic water systems ( the
California Safe Drinking Water Bond Law of 1988) . Also authorize
staff to seek amendments to AB 1439, if necessary, in order to
authorize the payment of costs for the formation of assessment
districts and/or the payment of connection or facilities reserve
fees.
BACKGROUND:
Safe drinking water bonds were authorized in 1976, 1984 and 1986 .
AB 1439 would continue this program by authorizing additional
bonds if approved by the voters in 1988. Contra Costa County has
had several projects funded under the 1976 and 1984 bond
authority and is currently applying for funds for several
projects under the 1986 law.
In particular, Contra Costa County is. applying for funds to
connect some 400 homes in the area between Oakley and Brentwood
to the existing water service. Unfortunately, the Department of
Water Resources will not allow the connection charges to be
included as a part of the cost of the project under the existing
Safe Drinking Water Bond laws. The connection charges will run
an average of $3000 per residence, an amount most of the
residents cannot afford. In addition, the Department of Water
Resources will not allow the administrative costs of establishing
an assessment district, such as necessary legal fees, which is
required to pay for the actual construction costs.
Interestingly, the State would pay for the cost of constructing a
whole new treatment plant for these 400 residents, an alternative
which is much more expensive than connecting the homes to the
existing service. If these costs cannot be included as allowable
costs for the project, the entire project will have to be
abandoned.
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT; YES SIGNATURE'
X RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE
X APPROVE OTHER
SIGNATURE(S): 6&ZW&A`1
ACTION OF BOARD ON J.bne 9, 1987 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER _
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
1 HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE
UNANIMOUS (ABSENT �— AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN
AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD
ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN.
County Administrator
cc: Health Services Director ATTESTED JUN q 1987
Jim Blake, Env. Health, HSD PHIL BATCHELOR, CLERK OF THE BOARD OF
Jackson/Barlsh & Associates SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
Assemblyman O'Connell
M382/7-83 BY ,DEPUTY
Page 2
It is unclear whether the restrictions on inclusion of the
connection fee and the assessment district costs are purely an
administrative interpretation, or whether the law restricts the
inclusion of these costs. As a result, we are requesting
authority from the Board to seek amendments to AB 1439 if that is
the only way we can have these costs considered eligible under
the Safe Drinking Water Bond Law. The Board should, however,
support AB 1439 since the additional bonding authority is needed.