Dear Editor,In 1987, the Santa Clara Valley Water District
turned on the Central Valley Water Project, which brings imported
water from the Delta to Santa Clara County.
What the Water District is Not Telling the Rate Payers is Costing Millions
Dear Editor,
In 1987, the Santa Clara Valley Water District turned on the Central Valley Water Project, which brings imported water from the Delta to Santa Clara County. This project was built at a cost of $247.8 million. The United States Bureau of Reclamation loaned this amount of money to the Water District and required them to pay it back. Since that time, the district has had a disagreement with the USBR about how much they should be repaying for this project. After years of negotiating their current contract with the USBR, the district now must pay back the full capital cost of this project, plus $80 million in interest. SCVWD entered into litigation against the USBR over this issue. It concluded in a settlement in March 2005. The upshot was the SCVWD had to pay the accumulated interest on the unpaid debt.
In discussing this matter with district staff members, the question was asked: What happened to the money that was set aside for repayment, as stated in their Comprehensive Annual Financial Report? I was told that it was spent on other projects.
Had the district been making annual payments every year there would not have been this large interest payment on top of the capital cost. Now rate payers will have to pick up this extra cost over the next 30 years. How is it that the rate payers are expected to tolerate this? The current balance plus interest on this project is now about $319 million.
This summer, when you are filling out your Water Production Statement, for those of you that are on private wells, think about the extra cost that you are paying. For residents of Morgan Hill, San Martin and Gilroy on a water system that is not a private well, you will see an increase in their monthly water bill.
Robert J. Cerruti, San Martin
District Needs to Consider Families With Multiple Students in Schools
Dear Editor,
Graduation is supposed to be a happy and joyous time, and in our house the celebration was over the top, with one child graduating from GHS and one child promoting and taking a new challenge by going into the GECA program. It was wonderful except for my desire to choke the heck out of whoever came up with the schedules for the end-of-the-year promotions, graduations, senior trip and eighth grade Great America trip. Obviously, someone didn’t consider those who have more than one child in the school district because my son missed his sister’s promotion because of the senior Disneyland trip and my daughter missed most of her brother’s GHS graduation because of the timing of the Great America trip for the eighth graders at ASMS.
Not letting them go to either of these functions was NOT an option. The school district needs to keep in mind that there are families who have more than one or two students in the district and yes, it does happen that you have coinciding graduations and promotions. I would suggest that the district make the trips on days that don’t interfere or coincide with the ceremonies so the family as a whole can enjoy the graduation and promotion with the joy and bliss that is deserved.
Wendy Singh, Gilroy
