April 28, 2003

The Honorable Tom Torlakson, Chair
Senate Local Government Committee
Room 5061, State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814

SUBJECT: SB149, MONTEREY PENINSULA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT

Dear Senator Torlakson:

The League of Women Voters of the Monterey Peninsula has supported the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District since its inception. We opposed the advisory vote regarding the District's dissolution and are concerned that a replacement agency would undermine the progress made to-date to protect the Carmel River riparian habitat and the steel head and protection of the Seaside Aquifer.

The League recently completed an update to its local water position after hearing from representatives of CalAm, the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District, Monterey Regional Water Pollution Control Agency and the Public Utilities Commission and studying the history and background of the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District. The League believes that an agency responsible for planning and implementing a water supply project should be directly elected, and we support the requirements of voter approval for major water supply projects. League members believe that the agency should be local and have boundaries which generally coincide with the service area boundaries of the water purveyor and water supply sources, i.e., Carmel River and Seaside Aquifer. The League believes that planning and implementation for "new water supplies" should be the primary responsibility of one agency.

Based on these criteria, we oppose a governance alternative such as a joint-powers agency which would remove the right of the electorate to directly elect its representatives and to vote on a major water supply projects. As you know, it was the voters who turned down the two proposed water supply projects in the past. The response of SB149 to this dilemma seems to be to circumvent voter participation in the decisions which will significantly affect the future of the Monterey Peninsula rather than to work towards mutually acceptable water supply options.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Beverly G. Bean, President

cc:
    Senator Bruce McPherson
    Assemblyman John Laird
    Assemblyman Simon Salinas