DEVELOPERS USING SPIN TACTICS SO THEY CAN CONFUSE VOTERS.Byline: Maria Gutzeit Director, Newhall County Water District Relentlessly the headlines read ``Schools worried about water'' or ``Schools concerned they won't be able to build because of water.'' This is an excellent spin tactic for the developers who want to confuse con·fuse v. con·fused, con·fus·ing, con·fus·es v.tr. 1. a. To cause to be unable to think with clarity or act with intelligence or understanding; throw off. b. the voters. The developers would have us overstate the water supply, and even count contaminated contaminated, v 1. made radioactive by the addition of small quantities of radioactive material. 2. made contaminated by adding infective or radiographic materials. 3. an infective surface or object. water as available, so they can continue to build at the expense of current residents. In reality, Newhall County Water District is all for schools getting the water that they need. Newhall County Water District has said repeatedly that schools will always be granted their water supply. And no, a development next to, behind, or around the school does not enjoy that same guarantee. There are a couple of reasons for this. First, there are laws that have to be complied with. There are permitting and environmental reviews to be done and finalized See finalization. before any building, including the building of an oversize o·ver·size n. 1. A size that is larger than usual. 2. An oversize article or object. adj. o·ver·size also o·ver·sized Larger in size than usual or necessary. Adj. 1. water pipe, can begin. There is a process mandated by the state that water supply assessments be completed for larger projects include a finding of whether there is adequate water. If the water assessment comes back showing a shortage of water, the water district and/or the developer will provide plans, timelines and costs for acquiring additional water. All of this is done as part of the planning agencies' permitting processes. Secondly, there is the issue of fairness and equity. Newhall County Water District, as promised, is finalizing an implementation plan outlining how its requests for water connections will be processed. This is to ensure that everyone who is ready to build can get water, rather than having a free-for-all where everyone who owns a parcel in or around our district asks for the maximum conceivable con·ceive v. con·ceived, con·ceiv·ing, con·ceives v.tr. 1. To become pregnant with (offspring). 2. water they could ever need if they eventually decide to make improvements someday some·day adv. At an indefinite time in the future. Usage Note: The adverbs someday and sometime express future time indefinitely: We'll succeed someday. Come sometime. . Would we want to hold up water for the already approved Newhall Community Center just because the developer of the Las Lomas Las Lomas may refer to:
Finally, there are legal mandates that schools will always get utility service no matter what. We wholeheartedly whole·heart·ed adj. Marked by unconditional commitment, unstinting devotion, or unreserved enthusiasm: wholehearted approval. whole agree with that and agree that schools need to be given a priority. Certainly a water district has no say in where a school locates or how it is funded. That schools have become beholden be·hold·en adj. Owing something, such as gratitude, to another; indebted. [Middle English biholden, past participle of biholden, to observe; see behold. to new development, rather than being built before overcrowding overcrowding overcrowding of animal accommodation. Many countries now publish codes of practice which define what the appropriate volumetric allowances should be for each species of animal when they are housed indoors. Breaches of these codes is overcrowding. takes place, is probably an unfortunate offshoot of our economic situation, and is far beyond the control or influence of the local water district. Perhaps the school districts could see about getting legislation passed so that adequate schools are built and funded without getting us in this desperate situation of having to have more development just to catch up on school building. That's just an idea - and something the school boards probably know much more about. The water district's job is water, and we try to stick to that. What the water district can and will do is promise the schools will get their water deliveries, and that all water service agreements not for the school will go through the same legal and policy process as all other new customers will. We are happy to give schools special treatment. All other applicants - be it a homeowner, a business, or even a developer - will also be treated fairly in accordance with legal requirements and written policy designed to ensure that we all have water when we need it. |
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