The Twentynine Palms Water District Board of Directors met last night to discuss mandatory restrictions on water use and a proposed 15 percent rate increase over five years. Reporter Rebecca Havely attended the meeting and offers this report…
The regular meeting of the Board of Directors of the Twentynine Palms Water District began with a hearing on the state-wide, stage II mandatory restrictions on water use. Interim General Manager Ray Kolisz explained that a 25 percent reduction will be enforced state-wide. All urban water suppliers have been sorted into nine tiers. The Twentynine Palms tier must reduce water use by 28 percent during the hot months of July, August and September. Proposed ways of reducing water use include only using hoses with auto shut-off valves and allowing yard irrigation only three times per week. He noted that asking that residents to further reduce their irrigating to two times a week may actually encourage them to over water. Water will only be served in restaurants when specifically requested and hotels will only launder sheets upon request. Kolisz said the water district will plan local outreach including newsletters to residents to show the state the district is doing all it can to comply. He mentioned that the most common way of keeping cool in the desert is by using swamp coolers and that reducing that usage could possibly be a health risk for some. With that in mind he said, “We may still get the nasty-gram from the state down the road.” After a budget workshop, the rate study was addressed by Cindy Byerrum, the financial consultant for the district, who said the board had agreed to consider a rate increase annually over five years. However after considerable analysis of the proposed 2015/2016 budget, they now believe the increase may not be enough. At the September board meeting it will be determined if the 3 percent increase annually for five years is adequate. The board then went into a lengthy closed session and emerged with nothing more to report.
