Fiscal Responsibility

By Ann L. Peay

The high cost of infrastructure requires careful, long-term analysis and a 'system' approach to developing funding sources and reducing cost to minimize water rate impacts.

During my eight years as President I have ensured the District is run as an efficient business. This begins with adherence to the first item of our Mission Statement: `Provide a safe, reliable, high quality water supply to each customer in a cost effective manner'. We have achieved this financial success by understanding the big picture and then focusing careful attention to all the imbedded details that contribute to the whole:

1. First, reorganizing and reducing Operating Costs by $350,000. This earned the Golden Watchdog Award from the San Diego Taxpayers Association.

2. Initiated a volunteer Citizen Task Force to advise and provide customer input to the Board.

3. Developed a 5 year plan for rate structure control across the customer base.

4. Implemented Automated Meter Reading Program improving efficiency, reducing errors and reducing labor cost.

5. Expanded the use of re-cycled water for agricultural applications thereby lowering water procurement costs.

6. Increased capacity fees for new development so that growth would not be paid for by existing customers.

7. As a Representative to the San Diego County Water Authority, I successfully promoted regional participation in the District's planned and approved Emergency Storage Project. The subsequent participation and expansion by CWA reduced the direct cost to the District by more than $10 Million and provided a new source of emergency water storage for San Diego County.

8. Proved through extensive test facility evaluations that membrane filtration would provide the highest quality water at the lowest operating cost. This environmentally friendly filtration was so significant that my personal appeal to Representative Cunningham and Senator Boxer resulted in an EPA grant of $3.9 Million to the District and additional funding is possible next year. It has received the highest approval ratings in the State of California.

Water has always been a politically complex issue in California. It gets frustrating and you always hope to find the quick solution - the instant pay-out. In my eight years as President I have seen many other plans promoted as the ultimate solution only to unceremoniously fall from sight. The customers of Olivenhain Municipal Water District deserve more than rhetoric and false promises. They deserve someone who can provide a safe, reliable, high quality water supply to each customer in a cost effective manner.