The Hi-Desert Water District Board of Directors learned at their special meeting Wednesday night that the district’s application for a no-interest loan from the State Water Resources Control Board is on the state board’s agenda for Tuesday, March 17. The district’s entire management team—along with board directors Roger Mayes, Sarann Graham, and Bob Stadum—all plan to attend the meeting in Sacramento next week. The district will give a presentation to the state board, showing that Yucca Valley is a disadvantaged community, in an attempt to convince the state board to issue a loan with a 0 percent interest rate for 20 years—which would increase to 1 percent for the last 10 years—as opposed to a 1 percent interest rate for 30 years. The 0 percent interest rate would save $20 million over the life of the loan ($23 million for a 0 percent interest rate for 30 years). After the state board approves the application and determines what interest rate the water district will receive, the ballots for the water district’s assessment vote will be printed and sent out around the first week of April.
