LETTERS WATER AGENCY IS WASTING TOO MUCH MONEY.

I think that taxpayers are getting short shrift with the Castaic Lake Water Agency and their expense accounts (Daily News, Sept. 17), not only for their seminars but also their general cost of doing business.

Eleven directors seems a lot for a water agency in a city the size of Santa Clarita. Why cannot each of the three water districts send one director to a seminar instead of two? The food stipend that pays for the spouse is an added and unnecessary expense. Consider also that the consulting engineer firm retained by CLWA receives millions of dollars a year.

The new budget has been revised so that this annual fee is disbursed under capital improvements. Their attorney receives $360,000 a year. Legislative analysts, i.e., lobbyists, get an additional $100,000 - all to promote CLWA and its board of directors.

Robert DiPrimio is president of the Valencia Water Company, owned by The Newhall Land and Farming Company. He also sits on the board of the CLWA. Having the same person sitting on two water agencies - one of which is owned by a developer - seems to me like potential for conflicts of interest.

Not too long ago a motion was put before the City Council to exercise eminent domain, the right of a government to take private property for public use and give just compensation. That motion was defeated. Had the motion passed, the city would be in a position to exercise control over CLWA and its operating expenses. But as it stands now, CLWA remains a free-wheeling organization that operates pretty much as it pleases.

CLWA was able to purchase the Santa Clarita Water Company at an inflated Realtor appraisal - which we residents paid for. Taxpayers and their children will end up paying the expenses and interest incurred by the CLWA's certificates of participation, a method that provides them with capital while sidestepping the voting process. These bonds raised capital twice; luckily for taxpayers, a third attempt failed. I am sick and tired of having my taxpayer dollars go for frivolous causes by elected officials who do not know the meaning of the words ``fiscal responsibility.''

For these reasons, I intend to work to promote the candidacy of Phil Hof and Henry Schultz. Not only do these candidates bring promise of fiscal integrity to the table but they are also friendly to our unique environment here in Santa Clarita.

- Sydell Stokes

Valencia

Council needs more mature

I was amazed when I read about the meeting with the Santa Clarita City Council (Oct. 8). Their behavior was unreal. Members jumping up and storming out, interrupting each other, not allowing members to speak and refusing to sit next to each other. Is this a group of mature adults whom we have elected to represent our city or are they just a bunch of pompous, ego-driven, kindergarten-acting brats? If they can't get their act together, they need to be replaced immediately. The city of Santa Clarita has some really serious problems such as humongous growth, traffic and lack of water, and they can't be solved by immature-acting children. We need some real-life grown-ups.

- Barbara Talbert

Newhall

Gated community paid for by owners

As a resident of Santa Clarita for 41 years, I have witnessed much of the development that has brought our community both positive and negative changes in our quality of life. Certainly, traffic congestion resulting from the county's poor planning in the past is not one of those positive changes.

However, as president of the Scenic Hills Homeowners Association, I am increasingly disturbed by the acrimony being displayed in the Santa Clarita Valley toward gated communities with respect to traffic circulation. This letter is being written in response to the repeated newspaper articles suggesting that the Rainbow Glen Drive Gate, which defines the property boundary of the Scenic Hills private community, is a roadblock to motorists wishing to access arterial roads. Calls to open this private community to public traffic would presumably ease congestion and allow motorists faster access to either side of the valley.

Scenic Hills was conceived, built and continues to be maintained by private funds as a guard-gated cul-de-sac community for the benefit of its residents. It was so approved by the county of Los Angeles. All 320 residences have deeds granting an undivided interest in the community roads, landscape, lighting, golf course, tennis courts, recreation center, pool and other amenities.

To open Rainbow Glen Drive through Scenic Hills would require condemnation proceedings against all homeowners in title and result in the public theft of our quality of life for which we have paid premium prices, and would require compensation to us for those values lost. We all bought here for the security of a private, gated community, with its corresponding peace and quiet, 25-mile-an-hour speed limit, no street parking and the serenity with which our children safely ride bikes in the street and our seniors walk safely at night.

Coveting this private road is not a new idea, only the coveters have changed! Fifteen years ago it was the home developers of American Beauty Classics who ``needed'' an emergency exit for a 600-unit development without secondary outlets since the county would not fund Via Princessa and would not grant a building permit without a secondary exit. Via Princessa now has been built as has Whites Canyon Road bridge. The Golden Valley Road is under construction and the extension of Via Princessa to Golden Valley will follow. Still, there will always be some people who feel excluded whenever they see a gate and wish to have free access to my property.

- Diane Southwell

Newhall

Mine foes using scare tactics

The city of Santa Clarita is running a full-page scare ad against the Transit Mixed Concrete proposal. The city has had no problem in the past with development - supporting heavy traffic, allowing massive construction of housing projects that are dusty job sites, increasing truck traffic on our local roads for the purpose of development, approving an exclusive, million-dollar housing project surrounded by water that affects our groundwater availability, approving the destruction of hills and views to make way for more development - and now they are crying about a mining operation that would bring local jobs and revenue to our city.

I just hope our citizens can see through this scam by our local elected hypocrites using the liberal method of scare tactics. In the ad it states that ``More than 9,000 homes are already located or planned within a five-mile radius of this mining proposal area.'' I see that word ``planned'' as the keyword: The city would rather tear down the mountains themselves for development than support a local business to provide jobs and keep the cost of concrete down.

The proposal by Southdown Corp. for the mining project should go forward. The city of Santa Clarita should feel ashamed of itself for criticizing the proposal with the ``protect our children'' scare tactic when the city already has proven it cares less about our environment, water resources, dust, views, ridgelines and traffic conditions. Shame on you, SCV.

- Leo Vaughn

Santa Clarita