December 20, 2006 - Top Stories
The water board Monday voted to go forward with a study for a South Village sewer to serve between 300-600 EDU (equivalent dwelling units.
While the project is in the planning stages, those who are on the fence as to whether they want to be in a sewer assessment district have perhaps another 45 days to get on board.
The room was partially filled with various landowners with interests in the Southern Node.
Diane Kilwein, project manager, began with a status report on the South Village Water Reclamation Project.
The project will be planned for:
• 99 reservations allowed with current zoning
• 5 reservations outside the current boundary of the South Village.
• 37 reservations over the current zoning entitlement
• 308 connections for Orchard Run
• 150 connections for Bel Alti
• 35 connections reserved for the district
It would expand the existing Woods Valley water treatment plant.
It will either be financed with an assessment district or a combination of an assessment district and private money.
The uncertainty as to whether all private parties will want to be part of the assessment district is why the project is envisioned between 300-600 connections.
Between the January and February board meetings engineering staff will complete the sewer master plan and initiate the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) process.
It will do preliminary design and report back to the board in February on final participation.
“Assuming the board says we can move forward we will send a letter out to say there is still a window of opportunity to be included,” Gen. Mgr. Gary Arant commented.
“Hopefully some properties might sense that this project is for real and we will move forward. There is a window of another thirty to sixty days for people to participate,” said Arant.
Some applied for EDUs based on zoning envisioned in General Plan 2020, which is not yet adopted by the Board of Supervisors.
Arant said he would advise them that inclusion is contingent on approval from the county Dept. of Planning & Land Use and the planning group.
Two properties (five reservations) outside of the Village boundaries will need to go through the process of being included in the Village.
John Belanich, owner and developer of Orchard Run, complained that his project was being treated as if it were just now getting into line. He felt he was being asked to “pay twice.”
He noted that the previous developer of Orchard Run, DR Horton, had agreements on file with the water district.
“Orchard Run has been around a long time and has participated in costs, fees and proposals for twenty-two years,” said Belanich. “We’ve done all that we can to cooperate and changed at least five times to accommodate the desires of the water board.”
He added, “We find it uncomfortable that after obtaining all approvals from the County and the right to go forward with the expansion of Woods Valley, we are now being considered to be revised. Where did this come from?”
In a seemingly veiled threat of litigation, Belanich said, “My attorney is in touch with your attorney. Maybe some consensus and agreement can be reached. . .”
He said he didn’t know where the idea came that Orchard Run would not go forward as a project.
Editor’s Note: That idea surfaced after DR Horton abandoned the project.
“Yes, I can go forward with the project,” said Belanich. “I have the money and design for the completion of the facilites. I am willing to do this on my own.”
He said he was not convinced that an assessment district is the best route for building the sewer that would serve his property.
“The district knows there are no more permits required to build this expansion. I’ve paid all the fees and bills to go forward. I’ve got my water lines in, my Regional Water Quality Board permit. I’m there. I’m not in the same category as people for the first time desiring sewer service.”
Arant agreed that staff has worked for a long time with Belanich. Originally the idea was to build two plants, one at Woods Valley and one at Orchard Run. When DR Horton entered the scene, it was persuaded that a single plant was more cost effective.
Although Horton has withdrawn, Arant said Orchard Run won’t be charged again for things that it has already paid for.
“Work done by Orchard Run that could benefit other properties would be considered a preinvestment and would be considered for refunding. To this point I’m not sure that any work done on Orchard Run is assignable to other properties,” said Arant.
“Some things were done twice, but that was not the district’s decision. That was the result of actions by the developer.”
An assessment district would apportion costs appropriately, he said. “Mr. Belanich won’t be required to pay for a collection system he doesn’t benefit from. It is true that there needs to be lines built from Orchard Run from and to the treatment plant. Those costs, as far as they benefit other properties or Orchard Run, will be apportioned in the assessment district.”
Even with the prior investment Belanich made in a plant for Orchard Run, “that it’s better economically for all concerned to build a single plant, rather than two plants,” he said.
“I understand Mr. Belanich’s concerns, including the timing, but our perspective is if he is prepared to go as he says it is that it’s to his advantage. Our preference is to do one big assessment district project. ”
Staff was asked when the plant would most likely be completed. The earliest is 25 months, said Kilwein.
Arant said a more refined time schedule will be brought back to the board. “I would rather undersell and over deliver. So that people involved can actually begin to plan for when they might have service.”
He reiterated that there is a “short window” for those who might want to jump on board.
“I think we should provide an opportunity for those who are on the fence. . . The important thing is that everyone who is interested in sewer service should get involved right now. The economies of scale are tremendous on this kind of project.”
A member of the audience asked if the cost of $40,000 per connection would still apply for a 600 unit expansion.
Wally Grabbe, the district engineer, noted that preliminary design report would include a final estimate for that amount.
After the vote Belanich was asked if he got what he wanted.
“I look forward to being happy,” he said, noting that his lawyers will be conferring with the district’s lawyers.
As the vote was taken you could hear a low sigh in the board room. As people filed out someone said, “It’s been a long time coming.”
The VC-Pauma school board last week held a special board meeting to ratify a collective bargaining agreement with the district’s classified employees.
Classified will receive total compensation of 4% on the salary schedule and the equivalent of 1% added to health benefits, which increases the district’s contribution to $7,350 for health benefits (from $6,649), effective July 1, 2006.
Additionally, increases will be made on the classified salary schedule for 2 positions, District Music Accompanist and District Athletic Trainer.
The district is still in negotiations with the teachers’ union.
For Valley Center’s Byler family, First Night, Escondido’s alcohol-free New Year’s Eve party, is a family event.
Jim Byler, dad, is executive director of the non-profit board responsible for putting on the family-friendly festival, which is contained entirely in the California Center for the Arts, Escondido, Escondido City Hall and Grape Day Park.
Byler is retired from the Carlsbad police after 26 years in law enforcement, where, for 20 years, he was a hostage negotiator. He wanted to get involved in the community and became director of First Night for the first time last year.
A VC resident for four years, Byler now teaches hostage negotiation to law enforcement officers.
First Night is a totally volunteer organization that, on the night of the festival, relies on about 100 volunteers.
Another Valleyite who is prominent in the festival is Mimi Van Koughnett, volunteer coordinator. It was she who involved the Valley Center Boy Scouts in this year’s First Night.
The Boulos twins, Jeana and Julia, will sing the National Anthem at the beginning of the festivities, around 6:30 p.m.
There are also many volunteers from VC’s Ridgeview Church.
John Goodman’s VCHS video production class contributed to First Night’s first annual student film festival. A film entitled Fat Camp will be shown. Several students from the class participated in its production.
The two-hour film festival will also include offerings from Palomar College and Cal State San Marcos.
Awards will be given and the student film makers will to talk to the audience about their films.
Several Valley Center musicians will participate in the night’s music entertainment.
They include:
Ridgeview Church’s gospel band, which will play between 8–8:30 in the Theater Patio.
“They have an awesome band,” commented Byler. “Last year they had a great time and the crowd had a great time listening to them.”
Brandon Cesmat and The Fuel, a Christian band, will play from 8:45–9:30 p.m., also in the Theater Patio.
At the Teen Stage, the VC kids band Over Jericho will play from 9:15-9:45 p.m. “There should be a good group of Valley Center kids out supporting them,” said Byler.
Family Pitches In
Byler calls the weekend leading up to First Night, “a blur.”
“I’ll be there early Saturday and we’ll have different companies come in and set things up,” says Byler. “The bands will set up the sound systems, the canopies over the stages, everything from the logistics to the lighting towers, the generators, the power to the different stages.
“It go will go on all day long on Saturday. Then around dark we wind down and catch a bite to eat. I will undoubtedly sleep there and then I will wake up and start again on Sunday, with decorating, banners and balloons and get the band there early to test the equipment. Hopefully we will have great weather.
“If I get three hours of sleep that weekend I will consider it a bonus.”
Last year it rained, so attendance was down, but if weather is clear this year they hope to have 8,000-10,000 attendees.
“That would be good size for the venue, crowded but comfortable,” says Byler.
His whole family pitches in to help.
Twenty-year old daughter, Brittany, who graduated from VCHS, rounds up 20 volunteers to do balloons and decorations.
Son, Brett, a senior at VCHS, does a lot of the heavy lifting and is the MC of the Teen Stage.
Wife Cynthia, is, in Byler’s words, “the trouble-shooter. She does what needs to be done and organizes everything.”
Son, Brandon, a VC resident and an Escondido police officer, will be there helping out and running the film festival. It was his idea.
The Festivities
Everything is contained within a city block, all within easy reach.
Entertainment, which in-cludes circus acts, teen stage, latino stage, film and poetry, art demonstrations, caricature artists, gospel music, classical music, ventriloquists, story tellers, country, rock and world beat music, commences at 6:30 p.m. and winds down at 11:30 p.m. when everybody will go outside and have a big party in the park.
There are 3,000 indoor seats. So, no matter whether it rains or not, there’s still plenty to do.
At 9 p.m., for the second year, the Chinese Dragon Parade will wind through the park.
At 11:30 they turn down the lights, power up the lasers and begin the fireworks and laser show.
“The laser show will be something new and totally different,” says Byler.
The festivities are entirely family friendly and alcohol free.
Find out more about First Night by visiting their Web site at www.firstnightescondido.com
A thousand “flashing” buttons are available to early birds who buy them at the center’s box office.
Before Christmas a button costs $10. The night of the festival the price goes up to $15 with kids 6 and under admitted for free.
Lori Johnson was elected president of the VC-Pauma school board at the December organizational meeting.
Also elected: Don Martin, vice president; Wendy Zeugschmidt, clerk. Supt. Lou Obermeyer was appointed secretary to the board.
Outgoing board Pres. Henry Van Wyk was recognized with a gift jacket for his year in the post.
The board recognized Bruce & Carolina Nebeker as volunteers from Lilac School. An award was presented by Shannon Hargrave.
“They are fabulous in the classroom, but they are also fabulous behind the camera,” said Mrs. Hargrave. She described how the couple took photos when the school applied for the distinguished school award and then provided 25 CDs with the photos to the staff.
The board voted to nominate new trustee Doug Dechairo to be on the County ballot for delegate to the California School Board Assn. Delegate Assembly.
Energy Savings
Frank Mann, representing U.S. Energy Services, gave a report on a plan to save on energy costs at the high school with a pilot conservation program.
Director of Facilities Gary Pay told the board, “We’ve been trying to find ways to save money in energy.”
They looked at several companies that provide such services. One company they looked at they didn’t like because it required adding a staff member and it didn’t send a representative to look at the facilities.
They liked U.S. Energy because it will bring a “turnkey system.” The cost would be paid for out of the savings and create a positive cash flow, including solar energy for Valley Center High School.
A representative of the company worked with Pay to prepare a feasibility study.
They analyzed how they are spending money on energy and surveyed all the campuses. They looked at air conditioning systems, how they are managed, and where they might need to be upgraded.
U.S. Energy is proposing a program to implement and fund these improvements with no out-of-pocket cash from the district through an Energy Services Contract.
U.S. Energy will guarantee that the savings will cover the cost of all improvements.
It estimates that the program, over ten years, will save:
• $1,883,577 in savings
Which breaks down to:
• $1,420,140 in capital improvements
• $463,437 in positive cash flow
One feature of the program would be installation of a 100 kilowatt solar photovoltaic system on top of the gym.
Athletic lighting inside the gym would be replaced by more efficient lighting.
U.S. Energy figures that the solar power system would by itself save $35,000 a year.
The energy budget at the school could be reduced 20%.
The $1.5 million in capital improvements could be funded entirely by energy savings.
The system would take 6.5 years to pay for itself.
Mann told trustees, “I think that’s the best payback I’ve ever seen on a project. The district has been very proactive on replacing air condition systems, so that’s why the initial investment won’t be so high.”
This report was informational only; however the board indicated it would like to have a proposal brought back for possible action at the January meeting.
The district spends between $600,000–$700,000 a year on energy.
“I like this proposal because it seems comprehensive and turnkey,” said Pay.
“It seems obvious to me that you have really done your homework and stayed on top of things,” commented trustee Wendy Zeugschmidt.
Director Don Martin said he had one concern about the proposal: Putting a solar system on the roof of the gym.
He said that in his experience whenever you put a hole in a roof “eventually there is a leak.”
Health Careers
The board authorized applying for a two-year Health Science Establishment Grant to provide $150,000 to plan and develop health career pathways for students in grades 7–12.
The grant is available from the California Department of Education through Assembly Bill 1802.
The district already has the goal of expanding career pathway offerings partnering with Cal State San Marcos, Palomar College, Neighborhood Health Care, the Palomar/Pomerado Health System and Indian Health Council.
Boys & Girls Club
The board also heard a presentation regarding a memorandum of understanding with the Boys and Girls Club on the After School Education and Safety Program (ASES).
The ASES grant will provide opportunities for lower cost and after school care and scholarships to low income students.
This new state funding source will expand the after school program to more students.
The MOU will be presented at the January meeting for board approval.
Assistant Superintendent
Ken Clark was approved by the board as assistant superintendent to replace the retiring Sarah Clayton.
“Ken has done an outstanding job as our director of curriculum. We will be forever grateful to Dr. Clayton for what she has given to this district,” Dr. Obermeyer commented.
Clark’s director of curriculum job will be vacant and they will replace the assistant principal’s job at the middle school.
Dr. Obermeyer added, “I’d like to say a big thank you to the middle school and Principal Chris Sommer which pulled together to work as a team with the absence of an assistant principal.”
Valley Center Optimists Dale Waters and Walt McDaniels prepare Christmas hams for smoking at Fat Ivor’s last Saturday. Sales will be from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily until Christmas Eve. Look for the little yellow trailer at Fat Ivor's on Valley Center Road. Proceeds go to Valley Center youth programs.
The Valley Roadrunner
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Website: www.valleycenter.com
Email: editor@valleycenter.com
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