Rural Home Alliance on a roll

From Rural Home Alliance:

The petition is attached (copied below) in MS Word format. You can print it out, sign it, and drop it off to Susan Bahl or we will figure a way to collect them. Susan’s phone number is 707-484-4307, and lives off Hessel in the Sebastopol area. Or if you attend one of the GSA meetings you could get it to a RHA member there.
Generally we are opposed to rural homeowners being subject to a well tax due to a lack of evidence de-minimus users such as ourselves adversely impact the groundwater. In fact we most surely contribute more groundwater recharge than depletion. And we have other issues with what is going on as well, including the unjust impact this fee structure will have on small food farmers.
Here is the GSA link. You can find meeting dates and agendas. Note there is both a GSA Board and a GSA Advisory Committee. Lynda Hopkins is Chair of the GSA Board.
Board Meeting (new date!)
March 14 @ 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
City of Santa Rosa Utilities Field Office, 35 Stony Point Road
Santa Rosa, 95401
April 2019
Board of Directors Meeting
April 11 @ 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm
City of Santa Rosa, Utilities Field Office, 35 Stony Point Rd
Santa Rosa, CA 95401
May 2019
Advisory Committee Meeting
May 13 @ 3:00 pm – 5:30 pm
City of Santa Rosa, Utilities Field Office, 35 Stony Point Rd
Santa Rosa, CA 95401
June 2019
Board of Directors Meeting
June 13 @ 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm
City of Santa Rosa, Utilities Field Office, 35 Stony Point Rd
Santa Rosa, CA 95401
July 2019
Advisory Committee Meeting
July 8 @ 3:00 pm – 5:30 pm

We intend to send more updates as more information comes in. The fee adoption could occur as early as the April 11th Board meeting. Or later at the June 13th Board meeting. They are under time pressure and want to get this fee in place. The proposal is to “charge” rural homeowners with use of 0.50 acre-feet of groundwater per year. That is an average use of about 460 gallons per day. The bottom line impact of that is rural homeowners (collectively) will be on the hook for 24% of the GSA’s annual budget. And this tax/fee would go on the property tax bills.

We have begun looking into the legal issues as well. At first glance this apparently is uncharted territory. It may need to go to court to answer the question whether this is a legitimate “regulatory fee” or a tax that would need voter approval.
Thank you for your time.
RHA

Petition to the Board of Directors of the

Santa Rosa Plain Groundwater Sustainability Agency

Petition summary and background

The regulatory fees proposed by the Santa Rosa Plain Groundwater Sustainability Agency are based on inaccurate and biased estimates, instead of locally derived, verified empirical data. We hereby demand all those on the board that have vested interest, financial or otherwise recuse themselves from any further voting until their positions can be replaced.

Action petitioned for

We the undersigned demand equitable charges and sustainable solutions, protecting the rural homeowners’ rights and our local food producers.

 

Name

Signature

Town / City

Email

Date