1,569 / 48.4% Yes votes ...... 1,670 / 51.6% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures

Meaning of Voting Yes/No

A YES vote of this measure means:

A majority "yes" vote would prohibit the District's Board of Directors from approving expenditures of funds for system expansion except as contained in the ordinance.

A NO vote of this measure means:

A "no" vote allows the Board of Directors to continue to have final decision making authority over expenditures for system expansion.

This ordinance adopted by this Measure, if approved by the voters, would require the District to place a measure on the ballot and obtain voter approval under the following circumstances:

1. Before spending District funds for acquisition of additional water supplies from sources beyond those for which the District is currently under contract, or for construction of facilities for the importation of water from sources not currently being used by the District;

2. Before spending funds derived from water consumption charges paid by the District's existing ratepayers for construction of new water development, treatment, storage and transmission facilities necessitated by new development; or

3. Before spending District funds for construction of new or enlargement of existing primary water system facilities (storage tanks, wells, pump stations, treatment facilities, or pipelines twelve (12) inches or greater in diameter) except for primary water system facilities: (a) which are necessary to furnish a safe and adequate water supply to existing customers; (b) which are necessary to serve (i) purchased uninstalled non-priority connections; (ii) purchased uninstalled priority connections; and (iii) priority water connections still available for purchase; (c) which are necessary to comply with the requirements of another governmental agency or enlargement of existing facilities necessary to provide adequate fire flows; or (d) which are necessary for replacement or repair of existing pipelines, provided that the replacement is no larger in diameter than existing pipelines.

The ordinance adopted by this Measure would contain an exception for expenditures or facilities necessary to furnish water to existing customers in an emergency declared by the Board of Directors, such as floods, fire, earthquakes or other natural disasters.

A "Yes" vote would prohibit the District's Board of Directors from approving expenditures of funds for construction of new water production, storage and transmission facilities, subject to the exceptions and parameters contained in the ordinance.

A "No" vote means the District's elected Board of Directors would continue to have final decision-making authority over such expenditures.

This Measure would take effect if passed by a majority of the voters. Once adopted, voter approval would be required in order to amend or repeal this ordinance.

The Dawn of the Replacement Era in Drinking Water Infrastructure

This study of 20 water utilities across the USA shows a significant need for increased replacement and investment in our water systems.

The people of the Coastside County Water District do hereby ordain as follows:

SECTION 1. AUTHORITY TO ADOPT MEASURE. This ordinance is adopted pursuant to the provisions of the California Constitution and pursuant to Section 30830 of the California Water Code.

SECTION 2. PURPOSE. The purpose of this ordinance is to ensure that the people of the Coastside County Water District have a say in the construction and funding of capital improvement projects which are beyond that necessary to serve the District's existing customers.

SECTION 3. RESTRICTIONS ON EXPENDITURES FOR IMPORTATION OF WATER FROM SOURCES OUTSIDE THE DISTRICT WITHOUT VOTER APPROVAL. District funds shall not be expended for acquisition of additional water supplies from sources beyond those for which the District is currently under contract, nor for the purpose of constructing facilities for the importation of water from sources not currently being used by the District, unless the voters of the District approve the expenditure involved. Feasibility studies and environmental analysis of potential projects shall not be precluded by this section.

SECTION 4. RESTRICTIONS ON USE OF WATER CONSUMPTION CHARGES FOR SYSTEM EXPANSIONS WITHOUT VOTER APPROVAL. Water consumption charges paid by the District's existing ratepayers on or after the effective date of this ordinance shall not be expended for construction of new water development, treatment, storage and transmission facilities necessitated by new development, unless such expenditures are approved by the voters of the District.

SECTION 5. RESTRICTIONS ON EXPENDITURES FOR NEW PRIMARY WATER SYSTEM FACILITIES WITHOUT VOTER APPROVAL. Except for primary water system facilities: (1) which are necessary to furnish a safe and adequate water supply to existing customers; (2) which are necessary to serve (a) purchased uninstalled non-priority connections; (b) purchased uninstalled priority connections; and (c) priority water connections still available for purchase; (3) which are necessary to comply with the requirements of another governmental agency such as, for example, the relocation of the existing transmission line located in Highway 92, as required by the State of California, Department of Transportation, or enlargement of existing facilities necessary to provide adequate fire flows to existing customers and customers served by those connections identified in subsection (2)(a)-(c), above, as specified by appropriate fire agencies; or (4) which are necessary for replacement or repair of existing pipelines, provided that the replacement is no larger in diameter than existing pipelines, no District funds shall be expended for construction of new or enlargement of existing primary water system facilities unless such expenditures are approved by the voters of the District. "Primary water system facilities", as used in this section, shall include storage tanks, wells, pump stations, treatment facilities, and any transmission or distribution pipeline twelve (12) inches or greater in diameter.

SECTION 6. EMERGENCY EXCEPTION. This ordinance shall not apply to expenditures or facilities necessary to furnish water to existing customers in an emergency declared by the Board of Directors, such as floods, fire, earthquakes or other natural disasters.

SECTION 7. SEVERABILITY. If any provision of this ordinance or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid such invalidity shall not affect any other provision or applications, and to this end the provisions of this ordinance are declared severable.

SECTION 8. EFFECTIVE DATE, AMENDMENT, REPEAL. This ordinance shall be adopted if approved as an initiative measure by the majority of voters voting at a consolidated election to be held on Tuesday, November 6, 2001, and shall go into effect immediately after the Board of Directors has canvassed the election results and found that such initiative measure was approved by a majority of the voters voting thereon. If approved by such a majority vote, then this ordinance or any provision thereof may only be amended or repealed by a majority of voters voting at any initiative or referendum election.