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Montara Sanitary and Water District Responds to City of HMB’s Sewer Lawsuit

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PRESS RELEASE dated 10/10/2020.

HMB made inaccurate, self-serving public statements related to pending litigation. Mediation is a legally-protected process which bars participants from revealing the content of negotiations.

HMB sued MWSD, GCSD, SAM to break a 40-year agreement which ties the Coastside’s critical sewer treatment together. HMB is seeking to renege on their obligations to this essential joint system.

We look forward to addressing this baseless lawsuit in court.

~ The Montara Sanitary and Water District Board of Directors

Who is on the Board of Directors?

DIRECTOR TERM
Kathryn Slater-Carter — President Term 2016-2020
Jim Harvey — President Pro Tem Term 2018-2022
Ric Lohman — Secretary Term 2018-2022
Peter Dekker — Treasurer Term 2019-2020
Scott Boyd — Director Term 2016-2020

 

Half Moon Bay, CA – On October 8, 2020, the City of Half Moon Bay informed the Santa Clara County Superior Court that the Granada Community Services District (Granada) and Montara Water and Sanitary District (Montara) have failed to formally approve the terms of a tentative settlement between those parties and the City, reached under formal mediation in August 2019, and that the City would unfortunately have to seek relief through the courts. The judge set this matter for a trial setting conference on March 9, 2021. It is anticipated that a trial date will be set for late summer 2021.
In July 2017, Half Moon Bay filed a suit in the San Mateo Superior Court asking for “declaratory relief” – a judgment resolving legal uncertainties and affirming the rights, duties, and obligations of these three agencies, comprising the Sewer Authority Mid-Coastside (SAM) Joint Powers Authority, which provides wastewater treatment services for the City and the other two coastside communities. The suit stemmed from a dispute as to the SAM members’ respective responsibilities to pay the multi-million-dollar cost to replace the Intertie Pipeline System (IPS). The IPS serves as an extension of the local sewer collection systems of Granada and Montara and carries wastewater from those communities to the SAM treatment plant in Half Moon Bay. The IPS does not directly serve users in the city.
This dispute, at its core, is about protecting Half Moon Bay sewer ratepayers from subsidizing the cost of sewer infrastructure from which they receive no benefit.
“We’ve worked countless hours in good faith over several years toward an equitable solution as to sharing these costs,” said Councilmember and SAM Board of Director Debbie Ruddock. “We’re deeply disappointed that Granada and Montara have chosen to reject the tentative settlement agreement we all reached together last year. We now have no option except proceeding through the court system.”
Formal mediation among the SAM agencies began in September 2018. In August 2019, they tentatively agreed to terms that would settle the IPS funding dispute and other issues affecting SAM. Since then, the City has sought to reach final agreement on the terms and amended Joint Powers Agreement, and to have the SAM Board of Directors implement the term sheet. In addition to the City’s financial participation in improvements to the IPS, this settlement would have resulted in a significant update of the 40-year-old Joint Powers Agreement for the governance and operation of SAM, for the benefit of sewer ratepayers of all three agencies.
Half Moon Bay remains committed to the fundamental goal of protecting the environment in and around the community, while providing for sewer and wastewater treatment services to its residents who pay for those services.
“We remain confident that the court will agree that it is not Half Moon Bay ratepayers’ duty to subsidize its neighbors’ collection systems,” said Councilmember and SAM Board of Director Deborah Penrose. “With the court’s help, we will sort out the IPS dispute while maintaining focus on running SAM efficiently for the benefit of the coastal environment and ratepayers.”

City of Half Moon Bay City Council

  1. Adam Eisen

    Mayor
    [email protected]
    Phone: 650-726-8250 (leave message with Clerk’s office)

  2. Robert Brownstone

    Vice Mayor
    [email protected]
    Phone: 650-726-8250 (leave message with Clerk’s office)

  3. Deborah Penrose

    Council Member
    [email protected]
    Phone: 650-726-8250 (leave message with Clerk’s office)

  4. Debbie Ruddock

    Council Member
    [email protected]
    Phone: 650-726

  5. Harvey Rarback

    Council Member
    [email protected]
    Phone: 650-726-8250 (leave message with Clerk’s office)

 

 

Montara Water & Sanitary District

Staying Ahead of our Local Community Needs

Board Meetings on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month at 7:30 p.m.

Call: (650) 728-3545

Email: [email protected]

Visit: mwsd.montara.org

October – November 2020 News for You:

Montara Water and Sanitary District (MWSD) works every day to deliver water, garbage and sewer services for the residents of Montara and Moss Beach. Over 6,000 residents rely on our services for their homes and businesses.

Thank You From The Board

From the MSWD October-November 2020 Newsletter

As our community and nation continue to struggle with COVID-19, we see how local leadership is critical to the safety and well-being of our community. Leadership keeps us well informed, on track and focused on the tasks needed to maintain our livelihoods. As elected representatives for our community, we thank you for your support and confidence in what we do. We’re committed to keeping watch for you and our beautiful coastside.

MWSD was formed by community members in 1958* to provide solutions that were better tailored to local needs, and more cost effective than the suggestions by the existing larger jurisdictions in place. We continue to serve you and those local needs today.

We carefully spend your bill dollars to ensure vital, reliable water, garbage and sewer services right here in Montara and Moss Beach. We do this because we live here and have spent the time to understand what is needed.

We have secured an independent water supply for our community. The water you need comes directly from sources developed, owned and operated here by this District. The beaches, creeks, ocean and environment we live in and near are protected from sewage by the system we built, operate and maintain. The money you pay is spent here on these systems.

We continue to hold Half Moon Bay accountable for their role in disrupting the Sewer Authority Mid-Coastside partnership. We won’t let the needs of our community be ignored or let your dollars be spent outside our area.

Having leaders who are locally elected means we can keep our focus where it needs to be – here in Montara and Moss Beach. We focus on reliability, sustainability, and resource protection to safeguard us now and into the future.

*MWSD was formed in 1958 to address sewer and garbage services, with water service added in 2003.

 

 

Montara Sanitary and Water District (MSWD) Meetings 1st & 3rd Thursdays

Watch remotely. Comments and questions by email.

Agendas and Zoom Live Meeting Links

If you experience technical difficulties or have technical questions prior to or during the meeting, please contact MWSD’s IT support at (650) 728-7843.

Meeting Videos

Meeting Schedule:

Regular meetings are 7:30pm on the first and third Thursday of each month. They used to held at the District office at 8888 Cabrillo Hwy, next to Pt Montara Lighthouse and Hostel.

To receive agendas by email, send a request to [email protected]

In addition to email, we post agendas before each board meeting:

  • On the District website here
  • Montara post office
  • Moss Beach post office
  • the bulletin board in front of the MWSD office

 

Who is on the Board of Directors?

DIRECTOR TERM
Kathryn Slater-Carter — President Term 2016-2020
Jim Harvey — President Pro Tem Term 2018-2022
Ric Lohman — Secretary Term 2018-2022
Peter Dekker — Treasurer Term 2019-2020
Scott Boyd — Director Term 2016-2020

 

Services

Sewer Authority Mid-Coastside (SAM) – MWSD is a member of SAM, the agency that collects and cleans our Coastside community’s wastewater before it enters the ocean. SAM meets monthly on the 4th Monday at 7:30pm. Jim Harvey and Scott Boyd presently serve as SAM board members.

Recology of the Coast – MWSD has contracted with Recology of the Coast for trash pickup, recycling, and waste hauling.

Visit County Solid Waste Department for more information about recycling, composting, etc.

 

In an Emergency

Water Emergencies: Call MWSD at (650) 728-3545

Sewer Emergencies: Call SAM at (650) 726-0124

For emergencies that affect life, health or safety:  Dial 911

 

Contact Us

  • 8888 Cabrillo Hwy
    Montara, California 94037
  • Office Hours:
    8:30AM to 5PM Mon-Fri
  • (650) 728-3545
  • [email protected]

Note: Public participation is not permitted during closed session discussion items.

 

MSWD General Manager Clemens Heldmaier showing a creek filtration system.

 

 

 

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