District operation isn’t the only thing ugly today – have you observed the smoky-hazed horizon of the valley? Yuck.
CONSENT CALENDAR AND TYPICAL “LEW VIEW BLAH BLAH BLAH”
Consent Calendar: Read and file the June 2016 Treasurer’s Report (please recall that GM Pete Kampa is also the LDPCSD Treasurer – controls district direction and money, very dangerous combination) and Approval of the Minutes for the Finance Committee Meeting of June 20, 2016 and Regular Board Meeting June 20, 2016.
Please recall that it is these regular monthly meeting Minutes which contain the public report out of any PUBLIC COMMENT which might be made during these board meetings.
Please understand:
Some customers take the time to read the agenda/packet, (traditionally released only a day or so before the Monday meeting without adequate time to read and study the often massive amounts of “one-sided propaganda” advocacy and defense of “self-serving special interest activities” by our FOR-PROFIT management team.
District management consists of appointed GM Pete Kampa and his for-profit professional management company (KAMPA COMMUNITY SOLUTIONS, llc) which both simultaneously serve multiple agencies in addition to our own NON-PROFIT PUBLIC AGENCY CSD.
The agenda/packet has been changed a number of times during the very meeting this “pre-notification” is designed to cover.
Customers who do decide to take the time to speak in that public setting are often harassed with a “BEEPING TIMER” (three minutes is a ridiculous short period of time for such serious matters concerning district operations which have been hi-jacked & re-configured to special interest benefit yet paid for by the 99% of entitled MERCED RIVER WATER USING CUSTOMERS of the subdivision) OR interrupted with verbal admonitions of “being nice” to those responsible for the perversion of our district’s primary intent and purpose.
“BE NICE” to those who mislead and abuse public trust?
The Board of Directors (under management’s supervision and direction) acknowledges this customer interest, time expended in preparation, and action in speaking in a public setting regarding their district’s misdirection (which other customers not attending the meeting should be permitted to read and understand) with a generic
“_____ PUBLIC MEMBERS SPOKE”
(Fill in the number of speakers – 411 is the same!)
Ohooooo, how informative! Folks – this is another excellent example of the importance the current Board of Directors and management place on the bill paying customer’s perspective.
NOTE: Although the majority of the board was NOT ELECTED BY THE PUBLIC but appointed under the supervision and influence of KAMPA and KOMPANY, I never-the-less believe the MOST CUSTOMER ORIENTED AND CONCERNED DIRECTOR demonstrating individual responsibility and integrity (above the obvious special interest/benefit objectives pushed by management), WAS APPOINTED, so “appointed vs elected” is not necessarily a bad thing, but we need four more directors like this – independent thinkers who are not swayed by the constant SPECIAL INFLUENCE MISDIRECTON OF MANAGEMENT. In other words, directors who will honor and perform their FIDUCIARY DUTY IN SERVICE TO THIS DISTRICT AND CUSTOMERS. If viewers are following KAMPA’s continuing nonsense and the individual director responses – you already know to which director I am referring.
RIDICULOUSLY CHEAP “AVAILABILITY FEES” FOR OUTSIDE MID-POU FAIR?
KAMPA’s claim that “some” OUTSIDE MID-POU property owners have paid availability fees and are therefore deserving of this GROUND WATER SUBSTITUTION PROGRAM SUPPORTED WITH PUBLIC FUNDS is, once again, a typical SNEAKY PETE HALF TRUTH.
Entitled MERCED RIVER water subdivision property owners pay $60/acre – maximum three acres – for the availability fee because the average lot size in the subdivision is approximately two acres. This makes sense and is a reasonable charge, yet, KAMPA & KOMPANY advocate it is also fair and reasonable that a 900 acre proposed subdivision OUTSIDE THE PLACE OF USE UNDER 11395 also pays only $180 a year for water they are otherwise not entitled!
Using the $60/acre formula, that 900 acre private speculative subdivision should have been paying $54,000 every single year!
$60 acre x 900 = $54,000 a year NOT $180!
KAMPA & KOMPANY has never explained why 99% of the ENTITLED WATER USERS IN THE SUBDIVISION should be required to pay for private “for-profit land development projects”. Heck, PETE KAMPA even set up some of these properties for such GROUND WATER SUBSTITUTION almost twenty years ago and (in my opinion) was specifically brought back to Lake Don Pedro by these “SPECIAL INTERESTS” to finish what he started by USING THE OVER ONE MILLION DOLLARS OUR DISTRICT HAD SAVED IN THE FOUR YEARS AFTER NEAR BANKRUPTCY TO CREATE AN “ALTERNATIVE SOURCE OF WATER” TO SELL OUTSIDE THE PLACE OF USE! (NOT FOR EMERGENCY DROUGHT USE BY EXISTING CUSTOMERS)
SOUND LIKE A CONSPIRACY TO YOU?
In April of 2016 PETER KAMPA published, and furnished to the public, a pamphlet of FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS RELATED TO WATER SUPPLY which he stated was a result of questions submitted by Director Emery Ross, which in itself is ridiculous since Director Ross:
Purchased his property knowing it was not entitled to district water;
Was refused water service multiple times by the District;
Somehow obtained a water meter belonging to another entitled property owner;
Had an undocumented water line traversing his property that is not monitored by the district for water loss and has no traditional utility maintenance easement for access to the pipe (Ross has stated the district WOULD NEVER OBTAIN SUCH AN EASEMENT);
That water line also serves other OUTSIDE PLACE OF USE Ranches and cattle damage to the pipe was repaired by Ross without district supervision or involvement;
Ross had another water meter “accidentally” installed backwards which prevented consumption reading;
Also had a mysterious cattle watering pond appear on his ranch in August 1998; and
Was personally involved in other highly suspicious activities including; three meters on one property owned by a long time friend and repair of another leaking OUTSIDE POU water line without district supervision).
THIS Director, who created a cattle ranching business with water intended for residential use in the subdivision with another person’s “liberated water meter” is the director PETE KAMPA turns to for advice and direction on OUTSIDE PLACE OF USE WATER ISSUES?
MAKES SENSE, Director Ross was also the director who telephoned KAMPA and relayed EXPLICIT CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION to make sure KAMPA was selected as the new IGM utilizing a closed recruitment process where KAMPA was the only possible applicant considered who just happened to have a contract ready for signature! (Even the agenda was mysteriously changed at the last minute to include this KAMPA CONTRACT which was accepted without even the hint of a background check which would have revealed his past activity in district OUTSIDE POU Expansion.)
What’s the term we keep hearing about on the national news lately?
OH YEAH, A RIGGED SYSTEM!
KAMPA DOES NOT TELL THE TRUTH
That April 2016 pamphlet contained the following statement on page 8:
“For example, the District never thought we needed wells before due to a dry lake, or levels below minimum pool. We know better now.”
According to a former GM the first Ranchito Drive well was supposedly constructed due to explicit District concern over diminishing lake levels and the fear the subdivision might completely run out of water. But as we all know now, that first well’s water production had to be dedicated as the LEGAL REMEDY FOR THE MANY VIOLATIONS OF SERVING MERCED RIVER WATER OUTSIDE THE LEGAL PLACE OF USE under 11395!
Besides this, there is much information regarding the District’s prior concerns to diminishing lake levels in the past – also involving petitions to the State Water Resources Control Board in hopes of reducing traditional environmental releases for fish and wildlife. True, the most recent drought was more serious, but the fear of losing lake water has clearly been addressed a number of times in the district’s history.
PETE KAMPA simply does not tell the truth, even about basic and easily proven facts.
Kampa published this false statement in yet another failed attempt to conceal the true reason for the public funded new ground well construction: to create an “alternative source of water” with which he could then use to expand the OUTSIDE PLACE OF USE WATER SERVICE through a SUBSTITUTION PROGRAM he advocated back in 1994-1997 when he first started his infamous career in water when first employed by the LDPCSD. KAMPA has always been aware of the restrictions in wl11395, he just didn’t care.
CAN NOT FIND THE LEGAL MAP OF SERVICE?
On page 9 of that ROSS/KAMPA Frequently Asked Questions pamphlet, Kampa states the District could not find the MID map that was submitted to the State of California. (I also recall KAMPA suggesting approximately $10,000 would be required to draft a new district service map.) OH MY GOSH…..how convenient! lol
WHAT? I quite easily received one with a simple telephone call request that was promptly followed up with an email and map attachment! AND IT WAS ABSOLUTELY FREE!
FOLKS….put on your thinking caps! This is not rocket science – it is pure duplicity in continuance of the fraud against the 99% of entitled MERCED RIVER WATER USERS who are paying for further expanded water service OUTSIDE THE POU.
UNBELIEVABLE that after over 35 years of District water service in Lake Don Pedro, KAMPA & KOMPANY absolutely refuse to publish for customer information and clarification, the easily obtainable MERCED IRRIGATION DISTRICT PLACE OF USE MAP which reflects the clear restrictions contained in water license 11395 concerning MERCED RIVER WATER USE under which our district has always operated.
KAMPA & KOMPANY ALSO REFUSE to clearly indicate all the other properties which are NOT ENTITLED TO MERCED RIVER WATER and must therefore be furnished GROUND WATER through an EXPENSIVE SUBSTITUTION PROGRAM using extremely expensive ground water wells developed with public funds but intended for private third party interest/benefit.
FOR WHAT PARTIES ARE KAMPA & KOMPANY ACTUALLY WORKING?
KAMPA & KOMPANY have now enlisted the assistance of the CSDA (California Special Districts Association) to presumably add an air of legitimacy to his disingenuous plan of special benefit OUTSIDE MID-POU water service paid for with public funds.
When I observed the SOI (Sphere of Influence) Map on the new website I sent an email to the CSDA and explained the situation and asked that they post LEGITIMATE MAPS OF DISTRICT SERVICE since KAMPA & KOMPANY refuse to acknowledge this truth. (I also sent the four maps already posted on this website for clarification.)
How can ANY LEGITIMATE PUBLIC AGENCY conduct business without acknowledging their intended, entitled, and rightful customers, much less those properties that must receive SPECIAL BENEFIT WATER SERVICE?
THIS IS ABSOLUTE BETRAYAL OF THE 99% OF ENTITLED, LEGAL USERS OF MERCED RIVER WATER IN THE LAKE DON PEDRO SUBDIVISION!
CONSTANT PROPAGANDA WORKS!
Years ago I was astonished by otherwise well-meaning directors of the Lake Don Pedro Owners Association who constantly, and incorrectly, referred to their elected/appointed director positions as being in service to the HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION.
I was shocked that these folks apparently had no idea that in actuality we are a PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION not a HOMEOWNERS organization. How could they be so confused? Simple – management company indoctrination with constant use of the term HOMEOWNERS.
HOMEOWNER THIS, HOMOWNERS THAT….homeowners, homeowners, homeowners…..and it stuck. They were not bad people or stupid by any means, they had just been repeatedly taught the term “HOMEOWNERS” rather than “PROPETY OWNERS”.
I believe a similar process has occurred with some of the directors on our CSD Board with the term “COMMUNITY”. They too were well-meaning community volunteers who dedicated much time and work into helping the district and its customers during a very serious drought emergency.
Unfortunately, (as is usually the case) a few “cheaters” used the GM appointment process (and exigent circumstances of a severe drought) to push their own individual agendas of furthering OUTSIDE MID-POU EXPANDED SERVICE. Perhaps some did not honestly comprehend the subtle misdirection but rather, consciously chose to place their confidence and trust in a touted “PROFESSIONAL” in the business (who obviously had a preconceived agenda based on previous experience).
Even so, HOW THIS RE-CONFIGURATION OF DISTRICT OPERATIONS ACTUALLY STARTED IS LESS IMPORTANT NOW THAN STOPPING THE FURTHER PROGRESSION.
What’s done is done but directors must now accept responsibility, recognize and acknowledge the deception, and take corrective action by no longer ratifying inappropriate past activity by management (unilaterally re-establishing POST RETIREMENT MEDICAL BENEFITS a good example) or approving further special interest proposals by management. (Some pretty shocking/interesting stuff to be addressed in forth-coming posts.)
HAVE YOU FOLKS REQUESTED YOUR MONTHLY AGENDA/PACKET MATERIALS TO BE EMAILED TO YOU YET? JUST CHECKING…..lol
KAMPA has misrepresented the Lake Don Pedro CSD situation to customers, State and Federal agencies in order to surreptitiously obtain his “alternative source of water” for further OUTSIDE MID-POU expansion, however, that deception is now known and must be curtailed.
Any director who now continues to support KAMPA’s agenda cannot later claim “they did not realize” what was actually taking place and were only acquiescing to what they “believed was sound professional management advice.”
Every one of us has , at one time or another, been mislead, fooled, or side-tracked by others for various reasons, and that can easily be attributed to simple human error, but to continue such district misdirection after enlightenment with the truth is unequivocally wrongful and every bit as dishonest as those who originally, and intentionally, orchestrated the deception.
Heck, those directors who may have initially been “fooled” by Kampa & Kompany were the victims of an accomplished “for-profit” businessman with very strong, practiced, and successful cajoling techniques. Many viewers have witnessed and recognized some of those techniques in posted mini-videos of past meetings on this site.
There is no doubt at all that Pete Kampa is extremely slick.
The current board should continue with the many activities of routine business until the District election in October at which time a newly elected Board of Directors will assume responsibility. Perhaps then Mr. Kampa could be thanked for his “orchestrated second tour of service to the LDPCSD” and the process of securing a new GM without the FOR-PROFIT MOTIVES and LIABILITIES of running a private management company for multiple agencies simultaneously could be pursued.
Guess I received a better night’s sleep during this heat wave than I initially thought? Lol
My best to you and yours, Lew
