Attached is a letter from Jud Holtey dated October 22, 2003. Mr. Holtey is
an attorney representing the RBWUCI. The letter provides additional background
regarding the issue and presents the issue as viewed by the RBWUCI.
The recommended denial of the funding request is not meant to be a judgment
of the position of the RBWUCI and is not meant to downplay the importance
of services provided to the City of Ashland by the Talent Irrigation District
(TID). Properties within the city limits receive water from TID. The City
of Ashland uses 769 acre-feet of water with a possible use of up to 1,350
acre-feet. This water is used to supplement the city's drinking water supply
when water from Reeder Reservoir is unable to meet the needs of the city.
The current cost of TID water is $31,529.
It is recommended that the request be denied because it does not represent
an equitable distribution of the cost of the effort to those that will benefit.
In this case, the people that will benefit from the retention of the irrigation
rights are the customers of the irrigation districts. Treating the cost to
preserve these rights should be considered a cost of providing water to users
and passed on proportionally to users by adjusting rates. This approach would
pass on the costs for this effort to the city of Ashland in an amount that
is proportionate to the city's use.
Should the City Council determine that it wishes to contribute to the effort
of the RBWUCI it is recommended that this item be removed from the consent
agenda, and that the budget transfer for consideration by the Council later
in agenda be amended to transfer funds within the Water Fund in the amount
of the contribution. |
