GCSD First Glance at Sewer Fee Increase of 8% Over 3 Years; Approx. $50/yr

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VIDEO. From the Granada Community Services District meeting on 5/20/2021 by Zoom.

GCSD will hold a public hearing to discuss the potential increase, either as a special meeting or as part of a regular meeting. It will then make an official report and put into place all the required Prop 218 notices and public hearings.  ~ Barbara Dye, GCSD Director

Draft GCSD Sewer Service Charge and Expenses Budget for FYE’s 2022-2024.

Attached for your Board’s review is a broad look at the Fiscal Year 2021/22 through 2023/24 Sewer District budget and corresponding proposed sewer service charge (SSC) rates. As you are aware, the District has contracted with Bartle Wells Consulting to produce a proposed sewer service charge rate report covering the next three years. The attached rates spreadsheet is based upon our initial review and multiple meetings with Bartle Wells. I have shown a projected 8% SSC rate increase for the next three years, which should be sufficient to allow us to fund District operations with the following assumptions:

• SAM has undertaken an infrastructure maintenance program which is projected to cost approximately $2.0 to $2.5 million per year for at least the next 5 years. GCSD’s share of that program will average about $500,000 per year.

• Repair and replacement of collections system components – The District’s aging sewer system needs continual repair and replacement. Some of our sewer mains date back to 1920, and pose the potential to cause spills based on offsets in the pipe joints, and root intrusion through cracks and joints. Funding for this program will average about $200,000 per year.

• The Medio Creek Bridge Crossing – This project will redirect the remaining flow over the bridge directly to the Naples Beach Pump Station. The project is expected to cost approximately $400,000.

• Of note on the revenue side, District property tax revenues have been allocated to both the Sewer Budget and the Parks and Recreation Budget in past years. Based on prior board discussions, we will be allocating all property tax revenue to the Parks and Recreation Budget moving forward.

• Also of note is the cessation of the Assessment District payback in 2022/23 (highlighted in yellow) of the funding the sewer district provided for the initial startup of the AD back in 1996. This will reduce Non-Operating revenues by approximately $300,000 per year.

Based upon board input at this meeting, Bartle Wells will finalize their sewer service charge report. We will likely hold a special meeting to discuss that report and put into place all the required Prop 218 notices and public hearings as needed.

*Additional note: The 2014 proposal to convert the sanitary district to a community services district disclosed that this would result in a budget that “projects increases in annual sewer charges … as a result of shifting property tax to fund parks and recreation services.” The community supported it by a positive vote of 60%. No sewer fees will be used for parks and recreation services. 

 

 

 


Granada Community Services District (GCSD) Meetings ~ 3rd Thursday @ 7:30pm

Watch remotely. Comments and questions by email.

Granada Community Services District (GCSD) Agendas and Zoom Links

Granada Community Services District (GCSD) PCTV Videos

The District is responsible for parks, recreation, garbage and recycling services in the unincorporated areas of El Granada, Princeton, Princeton-by-the-Sea, Clipper Ridge, and Miramar.

GCSD Regular Board Meetings are held on the third Thursday of each month at 7:30 pm in the District’s meeting room, and are normally shown on Pacific Coast TV (PCT) (Cable channel 27) at 6:00 am on Wednesday and at 11:00 am Saturday following the meeting (but check the schedule as show times can vary).

Mission Statement

To protect public health and safety, preserve our environment, and maintain fiscal soundness by providing high quality service for wastewater, solid waste collection, recycling, and serving the community’s needs for parks and recreation, through responsible operations and management.

The Granada Sanitary District was formed in 1958 under the California Sanitary District Act of 1923. In October of 2014, the District was reorganized as the Granada Community Services District under California Government Code 61000 et seq.  The District is responsible for parks, recreation, garbage and recycling services in the unincorporated areas of El Granada, Princeton, Princeton-by-the-Sea, Clipper Ridge, and Miramar.  The District is also responsible for the sewage collection system and disposal for approximately 2,500 residences and businesses in these same unincorporated areas as well as the northern portion of the City of Half Moon Bay.  Garbage and recycling services are provided by Recology of the Coast under a franchise agreement with the Granada Community Services District.

The District office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and is located on the third floor of 504 Avenue Alhambra, El Granada. To contact the District please call (650) 726-7093. Regular board meetings are held on the third Thursday of each month at 7:30 p.m.

Board of Directors

Board members serve four year terms, and are elected on a staggered two year basis in even numbered years. Board members receive $145 per meeting as compensation for their service on the board.

Board of Directors

Matthew Clark  President
Eric Suchomel – Vice President
Barbara Dye – Director
David Seaton – Director
Nancy Marsh – Director

Board members serve four year terms, and are elected on a staggered two year basis in even numbered years. Board members receive $145 per meeting as compensation for their service on the board.

 

Staff

General Manager: Chuck Duffy, Dudek & Associates
Assistant General Manager: Delia Comito
Legal Counsel: William Parkin, Wittwer Parkin LLP
District Engineer: John Rayner, Kennedy/Jenks Consultants
Administrative Assistant: Nora Mayen

Sewer Authority Mid-Coastside

The Sewer Authority Mid-Coastside (SAM) is a Joint Powers Authority created by an agreement between the Granada Sanitary District, the Montara Sanitary District, and the City of Half Moon Bay in 1976. The agreement called for the creation of the Authority to build and operate a commonly owned sewer treatment plant for the benefit of all three agencies. All sewage generated by the three agencies is pumped and piped to the treatment plant for treatment and eventual disposal. For more information on SAM, please visit their website at samcleanswater.org.

 

Links to previous GCSD meetings’ videos.

The Granada Community Services District (GCSD), formerly the Granada Sanitary District, gained park and recreational jurisdiction on October 1, 2014, for the unincorporated areas of El Granada, Miramar and Princeton (i.e. the “GCSD Community”) by a positive vote of 60% of the voters in the District. This reorganization allows the district to provide parks and recreation services in addition to the sewer, solid waste and recycling services it currently provides to over 2,500 residences and businesses in the District as well as the northern portion of the City of Half Moon Bay.  Solid waste and recycling services are provided by Recology of the Coast under a franchise agreement with GCSD.

The parks and recreation function is funded by utilizing a portion of GCSD’s share of San Mateo County property tax revenues, not from sewer charges. GCSD’s goal is to provide parks and recreation services that benefit the GCSD community, with a commitment to robust neighborhood outreach on new projects.

 


Granada Parks Advisory Committee (PAC) Agenda

The PAC was formed by the Granada Community Service Board to ensure community involvement in all phases of park planning, design and development. Seven voting members are appointed by the Board to serve two-year terms. Members receive no compensation – they are neighbors volunteering to support and benefit our community. The PAC makes recommendations regarding parks and recreation to the GCSD Board of Directors. PAC meetings are held at the GCSD office at least once each quarter and are open to the public and televised. The PAC meeting schedule and meeting minutes may be found here.

GCSD owns the undeveloped “Burnham Strip” property along Obispo Street between Coronado Street and Avenue Alhambra in El Granada, which may be developed as an El Granada gateway park.

Additional potential park areas are a small GCSD-owned parcel on Capistrano Road in Princeton and the road medians in El Granada. GCSD and SMC completed a Permit Agreement in February 2018 which allows the District to make improvements to the El Granada Medians. GCSD may implement landscaping, seating, and active and passive recreational improvements on these properties, following an open and transparent community outreach process and all required permit and environmental review processes.

 

 

El Granada in 1972. Look at that big triangle of land that is now completely eroded!

 

 

 

Coastside Buzz
Author: Coastside Buzz

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