Hello…Anybody Home at the SD City Council?

The San Diego Metro Business Report for May 21, 2014 article says it all. I
can’t add to it, so I have quoted the article in its entirety. Why does it
take the actions of a grand jury to move the San Diego water policy makers?
And why was this not front page news in the San Diego UT? Hello..anybody
home?

Grand Jury Slams Council for Water Policy

The county grand jury Tuesday took the city of San Diego to task for not
moving fast enough to enhance the local water supply, City News Service
reports.

The grand jury report, which said the City Council needs to “assume the
mantle of leadership and provide funding for future water projects,” called
planning by the city’s Public Utilities Department and the water authority
is meaningless if city officials won’t “pull the trigger” to implement their
suggestions.

Among the recommendations are to junk a City Council-approved water
recycling project demonstration project and get on with building actual
plants; establish realistic funding timelines for water projects; support
capital improvement projects that enhance water management; require dual
plumbing systems in new construction for recycled water use; and creating a
policy in which water rates are to go up when wholesale prices are increased
by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

Several hours after the report was released, the City Council approved a $1
million expenditure to hire a consultant and stage a public relations
campaign to build support for recycled water. The council also called for
voluntary conservation measures by residents in face of the drought.

The grand jury alleged “political posturing” on the part of City Council
members for not passing along a wholesale rate hike to customers a couple of
years ago, only to turn around recently and approve an increase of more than
7 percent for local residents and businesses over the next two years.

Milt Burgess

PS: Water Shock was nominated by the San Diego Book Awards. Awards presentation on 6/21