Check out this 1985 PRO DISTRICT EXPANSION OUTSIDE MIDPOU SUPPORT LETTER.
WITHOUT A SINGLE WORD as to where MERCED RIVER WATER could legally be served!
N
THEIR JOB?CC
WAIT A MINUTE! PAGE A2…..4th paragraph….Does it sound like all that property around the EMERY ROSS CATTLE RANCH RANCH (formerly part of Sturtevant Ranch) was not yet annexed into the district boundary?
“This reservoir can serve by gravity outside District boundaries in Section 34 Township to to South Range 15 East, portions of Penon Blanco Road, Highway 132, and The Old State Highway extending south, east, and west from this section. In addition, the District is committed to serve the lands of Sturtevant in this area.“
“…can serve by gravity….” and not, “….does serve by gravity….”???
WHAT DOES THE ORIGINAL (DECADES AWOL) 1980 LAFCO FORMATION MAP ILLUSTRATE?
Was all that STURTEVANT PROPERTY already included in 1980? Or was it later added thanks in no small part to this “EXPANSION ADVOCACY LETTER BY BINKLEY ENGINEERS” just before the major 1987 SPHERE OF INFLUENCE BOUNDARY CHANGES TO BE MADE? (Where LAKE SHORE RANCH and others were presumably brought into the District Service Area – despite the district’s inability to provide MERCED RIVER WATER to those properties.)
THAT 1980 FORMATION MAP IS THE KEY TO MUCH OF THIS
CHECK IT OUT!
“In addition, the District is committed to serve the lands of Sturtevant in this area”?
(Pretty subjective opinion based on a relative’s suspicious 10 meter agreement to increase service area 17 years earlier and 12 years before the LDPCSD WAS EVEN FORMED!)
“COMMITTED TO SERVE”? Not according to the CPUC approval of the transfer of facilities and assets to the new LDPCSD!
Service to the STURTEVANT RANCH PROPERTY certainly could have been argued to be one of those “LIABILITIES” completely owned by SIERRA HIGHLANDS and NOT TO BE TRANSFERRED TO THE NEW LDPCSD! (Hell, SIERRA HIGHLANDS CREATED THE MESS – THEY SHOULD OWN IT! Not the innocent MR WECs of the subdivision!
IS THIS WHY LAFCO PREEMPTIVELY CHANGED THE SERVICE AREA BEFORE THE FACILITY/ASSETS WERE LEGALLY TRANSFERRED BY THE CPUC TO THE LDPCSD?
If the 1980 map does show STURTEVANT within the DISTRICT BOUNDARIES as has been represented for decades.
But if that original 1980 map shows STURTEVANT outside the DISTRICT BOUNDARIES, then perhaps the STURTEVANT RANCH was placed within DISTRICT BOUNDARIES later after BINKLEY’S EXPANSION ADVOCACY LETTER IN 1985 just before the 1987 SOI Changes? BUT WAIT! That’s SPHERE OF INFLUENCE, NOT LEGAL DISTRICT SERVICE AREA BOUNDARIES!
THE MISSING LAFCO 1980 MAP WHICH WAS BASED ON 11 PAGES OF A DETAILED “METES AND BOUNDS” ENGINEER FIELD SURVEY, MUST BE RE-CREATED FOR ANY CHANCE OF UNDERSTANDING WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN REGARDS TO THE MAJOR PRIVATE LAND DEVELOPMENT SPECIAL INTERESTS THAT WERE CLEARLY INFLUENCING THE FORMATION, DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNED OPERATION OF THE LAKE DON PEDRO CSD.
Thad Binkley orchestrates a “10 meter deal” outside the permitted service area in 1968 (expanding service area just as Sierra Highlands desired), then 17 years later G R BINKLEY, of BINKLEY ASSOCIATES, advises LAFCO that the DISTRICT WAS COMMITTED TO THAT SELF SERVING AGREEMENT TO THE BENEFIT OF THE ENGINEERING FIRM AND THEIR LONG ACQUAINTED LAND DEVELOPER ASSOCIATES IN THE AREA?
Sure seems like a conflict of interest for the DISTRICT’s ENGINIEERING FIRM (and prior associates of SIERRA HIGHLANDS) to represent the expansion interests of land developers NOT ENTITLED TO MERCED RIVER WATER, while simultaneously having the responsibility of maintaining the treatment system to the benefit of the legal customers in the subdivision.
Activities supporting further outside MIDPOU development for land developers and real estate interests represent a clear liability and detriment to the legal customers of the entitled subdivision who must bear the financial consequences and reduction in efficiency of a surface water treatment plant designed, constructed and intended to serve their subdivision interests.
“….NATURAL SOURCE FOR SERVICE….”
Even KAMPA’s LAKE SHORE RANCH “SLUMBERING ANNEXATION” was referenced back in this 1985 letter (ten years prior to annexation) while “our engineers” were pushing for further outside MERCED IRRIGATION DISTRICT PLACE OF USE water service!
AND NOW I finally understand how the PINEY CREEK ISLAND AREA OF POTENTIAL DISTRICT WATER SERVICE (in district, paying nothing but can vote in elections) came about…..that deal was apparently contingent on its transferring their “WATER RIGHTS”, but only AFTER BEING ANNEXED into the district by LAFCO? Ooops! Guess what?
No water rights to transfer – but the annexation was complete and legal through LAFCO? Sure smells like fraud to me. The benefits of providing district inclusion with all the property tax benefits, not required to pay anything to the district, get to vote and determine who represents the interests of those outside the service area, yet the very CONSIDERATION FOR THE DEAL (water rights on Lake McClure) DID NOT EVEN EXIST! And no one knew or investigated or researched the matter UNTIL AFTER THE ANNEXATION WAS COMPLETE? Oh Please. Perhaps LAFCO was going for one of those “TRANSPARENCY CERTIFICATES” Kampa just obtained for the LDPCSD? lol
Kind of like performing mechanical work on that new vehicle in the sales lot prior to purchase, then purchasing the same with a RETURNED INSUFFICIENT FUND CHECK – but never-the-less being able to keep and use the vehicle while the auto lot pays all associated expenses for as long as you own the vehicle! sweet.
OUTRAGEOUS.
Notice also the
EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE PROPOSITION OF
INCREASING THE TREATMENT PLANT CAPABILITIES WAS ALSO DEPENDENT UPON EVEN MORE
EXPANSION OUTSIDE THE MIDPOU!
~~~
“I am sorry, but hospital
emergency room
procedures require that
I shoot you with this gun
to assure your injuries
are sufficiently severe
to require emergency
room dedicated services,
but first, please sign this
form accepting financial
responsibility for the cost of
the bullet and gun rental.”
~~~
YUP
of the subdivision were getting screwed from every direction possible and didn’t even know it!
UNBELIEVABLE!
Can’t you just imagine some of the LAFCO discussions at the time????
“Well, golly gee…. based on all this solid evidence and our careful inspection of the facts, ….. guess we have no choice but to approve more and more annexations into the district. This is especially so because the original SIERRA HIGHLANDS WATER COMPANY officials, engineers, employees and hundreds of wannabe customers all say that’s how the COUNTIES will be able to develop all that adjacent property with this massive “foothill water empire” we build ON PAPER today thanks to the LDPCSD.
Besides, when you think about it, we will be assisting the good citizens and residents of the subdivision in obtaining a better treatment plant in the future by annexing as much as we can right now! What about that other 300 acres by my cousin’s place?
Hey! Who’s up for lunch? Is Sierra buying? The surf and turf was excellent last time. Anyone try the Roast Beef?”
(not so lol)
THE LEGAL CUSTOMERS IN THE LDP SUBDIVISION FROM THE
VERY BEGINNING PLANNING STAGE FOR THE LAKE DON PEDRO CSD FORMATION,
WERE BEING SET-UP FOR A COSTLY ROLLER COASTER RIDE OF TREATMENT PLANT RE-CONFIGURATIONS, UPGRADES, and NEW OPERATING PROCEDURES, but most importantly, DECADES OF DYSFUNCTIONAL LEADERSHIP/MANAGEMENT ASSURED THROUGH DISTRICT GERRYMANDERING, ALL FOR THE SAKE OF CONTINUING DISTRICT EXPANSION OUTSIDE THE LEGAL PLACE OF USE FOR MERCED RIVER WATER !
FULL CIRCLE HUH?
NEED MORE OUTSIDE PLACE OF USE ANNEXATIONS TO JUSTIFY THE ENORMOUS COSTS INVOLVED IN EXPANDING THE TREATMENT PLANT TO SERVE MORE OUTSIDE PLACE OF USE ANNEXATIONS!
SAME PROCESS KAMPA HAS ANNOUNCED, ANNEX MORE OUTSIDE MIDPOU PROPERTIES, DEVELOP MORE GROUNDWATER WELLS, ANNEX MORE OUTSIDE MIDPOU PROPERTIES, DEVELOP MORE GROUNDWA……
HECK…AND then just “charge” the whole financial nightmare to the innocent MR WECs of the Lake Don Pedro residential subdivision!
And so it has been viewers- the legal MERCED RIVER WATER ENTITLED CUSTOMERS of THE LDP SUBDIVISION have been paying for this SPECIAL BENEFIT WATER SUBSIDY FOR LAND DEVELOPERS FOR 37 YEARS and PETE KAMPA was simply returned to re-activate that plan by furnishing an enhanced GROUNDWATER SUBSTITUTION PROGRAM financed with public resources even though obviously dedicated to the special interest of private profit chasing land developers.
Must get away from this!
I’m trapped in a cycle too!
Always my best to you and yours,
Posted by a frustrated Lew! 🙂
