Cattle barons versus Homesteaders at Rainbow

By Larry Sundram

Rainbow continues to be a deep concern for the communities it serves because it is wasting your money and mine!

Rainbow Municipal Water District continues to be a deep concern for the communities it serves. Big changes are in the offing as long time Director Christiansen resigned, Director Craig announced he will not run for re- election, President Clemens is selling his trailer and property in order to move to Florida and Director Tom Cole is subject to a pending recall.

Rainbow is going to have a new Board of Directors.

Water board meetings are a reprise of "cattle barons versus homesteaders" except today developers look to pack as many houses as possible into desirable areas like ours and we find ourselves in transition between agricultural roots and an exurban future.

Water is crucial to all interests and it demands the patience of Job to listen to the wails of the hurt, the wisdom of Solomon to choose from unpalatable alternatives, and Reaganesque communication skills to simplify complex issues.

Critical issues facing a new board are complex and interrelated. The board must slow down, listen, communicate, and make measured decisions. That's opposite current board practices.

One example is the recent unanimous board decision to enter into a "pre-annexation agreement" with Pardee Homes, one of the nation's largest developers and a subsidiary of Weyerhaeuser Real Estate. The public should know that a sewage treatment plant is planned for the banks of their SLR River to accommodate Pardee. The Rainbow story sells the plant as a way to reduce sewer bills for some of their customers by $5 a month.

In reality, this sewage plant scheme enables Pardee to build 1,250 homes near SR 76 and I-15 and in return we get a treatment plant near our river. Actually, we get more and less; residents of these homes will make more than12,000 trips a day on already clogged SR 76 and I-15. Rainbow will have to supply these new homes with water at a time the Colorado River is suffering a 500 year drought so our water supply is less. And, when El Nino hits again, the sewage percolation tanks on the SLR River can overflow and leach into our aquifer.

The board must slow down, listen, communicate, and make more measured decisions.

We know water costs increase and aging pipes must be repaired so Management cannot be wasteful and the Board must honor its duty to strict oversight, woefully lacking in the past. An example:

The recently approved budget outlines spending of about $4 million annually to fix infrastructure over the next 3 years. $5 million the total $12 million is slated for planning and engineering, not repair work.

Dudek and Associates, Inc. who signed a contract with Rainbow on April 7th 2004 developed these plans. Dudek's contracted services to Rainbow includes engineering design and support, planning, inspection, cost estimating, construction management, CEQA documentation, and other services as required. These services were not put out for bid to competing companies.

Dudek's contract states "...Rainbow's District Engineer or his designee is the District's authorized representative..." overseeing and enforcing agreements for all Dudek work. This sounds like reasonable oversight of the many millions of dollars spent each year (based upon Dudek recommendations).

Certainly, the magnitude of the expenditures increases the value of the District Engineer's oversight of Dudek and all the projects they propose and manage.

But the contract holds a surprise, "As District Engineer, the Consultant shall assist the District in evaluating various studies, reports, proposed Master Plans, and other documents..."

Dudek IS the district engineer!

The new Board must bring microscopes and brooms. A little house cleaning may be in order.