HomeMy WebLinkAbout96.121615 Correspondence Carl.pdf Board of Directors- Item 20
The Hon.John Nielsen December 16,2015
Chairman
Orange County Sanitation District
10844 Ellis Ave.
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
Dear Chairman Nielsen and OCSD Directors,
I apologize for not being here at the meeting tonight, but family obligations have taken a priority. I'm a
North Tustin resident and one of the members of Local-ControLorg, a grass roots citizens group in favor
of keeping local control of our services and our neighborhood. We in North Tustin cherish our freedom
and independence of large private or governmental organizations. As such,we are very much in favor of
keeping our local water company, EOCWD,which has served us for over 50 years without issue.
Additionally we believe that EOCWD will do a betterjob than IRWD. Our position is spelled out on the
site www.Local-Control.org.
During our process of collecting community support,we have received over 650 petitions from local
residents in Area 7(the petition is stated below). Additionally, in an 18,000 call survey,only 10%of our
community was in support of IRWD. Most recently, last week the Foothill Communities Association
(FCA)voted in favor of EOCWD over IRWD by a large margin.
We understand that IRWD currently sends a small amount of sewage to OCSD for recycling and receives
a disproportionate amount of water from our North County aquifer. Should IRWD get Area 7 this would
be an additional injustice since we believe they would continue to expand to acquire EOCWD and
Serrano Water District to provide water for their South County high density growth. This should be seen
as a threat to OCSD's water for recycling as well.
Last month the OCSD Board voted to direct OCSD staff to negotiate with EOCWD to amend its contract
so OCSD staff can negotiate with IRWD. Your staff did that and I encourage you to follow through and
approve the deal your staff struck with EOCWD so that the negotiations with IRWD can begin
immediately.
EOCWD offers a better proposal for the local residents in North Tustin. We look forward to your support
of EOCWD.
Carl Perkins
Encl. Local-Control Petition
Stop Irvine from Moving into our Area
Background
Last year the Orange County Sanitation District asked the East Orange County Water District to
take over the sewer system in our area known as Area 7. They have entered into an agreement
with EOCWD in this matter. Further, OCSD has voted on two separate occasions for EOCWD to
take over and manage the system. The Foothill Communities Association, cities of Tustin,
Orange, Villa Park,Yorba Linda, the Serrano Water District all support EOCWD. A decision is
pending with LAFCO "Local Agency Formation Commission"who as a government agency in
Orange County has the responsibility regarding boundaries and the changing of boundaries.
Petition
We,as residents of unincorporated North Tustin, Tustin, and Orange call on Supervisors Spitzer,
Bartlett, and DO to retain the character of our communities by supporting The East Orange
County Water District in its effort to take over and operate the sewer system known as Area 7.
We wish to have local control and local representation. We have no desire to be part of The
Irvine Ranch Water District where we would have little say and no control.
Comment
At a recent LAFCO meeting this comment was made,`Both Irvine Ranch Water District and
East Orange County Water District are good agencies,but East Orange understands our issues.
We don't want to become another Irvine."