Fortuna Exchange: Left out of the process

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Left out of the process

This blog was created in response to this comment to a post on Fortuna Citizen.
"I run into a lot of citizens who feel as though they are left out of the process. You are really onto something, as there are several huge issues coming down the pike and citizens can debate different perspectives on the issues."

I started Fortuna Citizen as a place for information. I think that sources of information need to be identified so I felt a need to moderate it more than I think is healthy for open discussion. So here is a place for frank, candid, outspoken, straightforward discussion. There are many reasons to remain anonymous so do so if you wish. However please don't use anonymity to be abusive to others making comments.

1 comment:

AnonymousFebruary 22, 2009 at 12:16 PM
Janelle's comment: This came yesterday to my email inbox:
Thanks for taking the time to put together the Fortuna blogs, I guess you can count me as one of those “gee, somebody ought to do this.” While I limited my comments on the Fortuna Forum I found it deteriorated to the point of uselessness and stopped even stopping by. At any rate there are a myriad of things that are, or should be, of interest to the folks in Fortuna. Just for an example, in yesterday’s Times-Standard was the article about changing consultants on the General Plan process! How much has that cost us so far? My guess is around $900,000 although it could be more if you include staff time. How about the decrease in workload in the planning and engineering departments? Is the City cutting back on staff or are they increasing fees?
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New tank or use Vancil Reservoir?

--The 5 million gallon Vancil reservoir has 4 million gallons of unused storage. It is up the street from the proposed tank. In Fortuna’s southeast there is an identified need for storage, but no proposed projects.

--The proposed 2 million gallon tank was sized only to meet current demand. With 4 million gallons of unused storage, Vancil will easily meet current and future growth needs in the north part of town.

--Built before the 1964 Christmas flood, Vancil was part of a water development program for a growing city with 5 wood products manufacturing plants. There is no evidence that it was ever intended as emergency storage.

--The City requested and was told there are no regulatory obstacles to using Vancil.

--The Water Bonds are not a legal obstacle to using Vancil, Fortuna is not required to build the proposed tank. The City Council can and has changed the 2006 bond funded projects

--We were told the water rate increase was to borrow money (sell bonds) that would fund "urgent projects" required to fulfill the City's "current operational responsibilities."

--A pipeline between Vancil and downtown will make 4 million gallons available, providing the 1 million gallons of fire reserve storage recommended for down town. The proposed tank has only 1/2 million gallons for fire reserve storage.

--Using Vancil will make bond funds available for other necessary projects, allowing us to avoid an unnecessary rate increase.

--We can safely and reliably use Vancil for 50 years and spend less than the cost of the proposed tank, plus interest.

--The 50-year estimate was based on the January 2009 Staff Report’s estimate of $10,000/year energy cost. Three months earlier, in September 2008, the City requested and received information that the actual cost would be half that, $5,000/year. Based on this, we could expect using Vancil would be significantly less than the proposed tank.

I still do not know the motivation for the tank, but I suspect and hope that this is a simple case of good intentions and faulty assumptions resulting in a misguided project.

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Fortuna Exchange

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Left out of the process

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Estimated cost: $4,500,000

New tank or use Vancil Reservoir?

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