Tag Archive for: Ramona Municipal Water District

Ramona Planning Group Supports Plan to Move Fire and Emergency Services Oversight to County

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Julie Gallant

Ramona Community Planning Group members are backing the Ramona Municipal Water District’s efforts to transfer its oversight of fire and emergency medical services to the San Diego County Fire Protection District.

At their Dec. 2 meeting, members voted 14-0-1, with member Kevin Wallace abstaining, in favor of the proposal.

“This should have happened a long time ago,” said Casey Lynch, a Planning Board member. “The Ramona Municipal Water District needs to get back to providing water, sewer and parks services. Getting fire services off the books and into the county’s hands, where we know they do a good job, will give us more protection and care in fighting fires.”

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Ramona Water District to Consider Transferring its Emergency Services Oversight to County

/in , /by /Ramona Sentinelby Julie Gallant

Ramona Municipal Water District directors agreed Tuesday to set a hearing to consider turning over emergency services to the San Diego County Fire Protection District.

The water district has had a contract with Cal Fire for its fire protection and emergency medical services since 1993. The proposed Fire Protection District would continue to contract with Cal Fire to serve Ramona, but would take over operations of the three fire stations and equipment maintenance. It would also handle emergency 9-1-1 dispatching and support IT and radio system operations.

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Construction Contract Approved for RMWD Lift Station Replacement

/in , /by /Village Newsby Joe Naiman

Two actions taken at the Oct. 26 Rainbow Municipal Water District board meeting addressed the construction of the replacement for Lift Station No. 1.

The board approved a $15,181,157 construction contract with James W. Fowler Company and a $1,423,717 professional services agreement with Valley Construction Management for construction management and inspection services. Both actions had 4-0 votes with one vacant seat.

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Water District Directors Critical of LAFCO Report

/in , , /by /Ramona Sentinelby Julie Gallant

Ramona Municipal Water District directors at their Sept. 14 meeting were critical of a report that recommends a different form of governance for Ramona, but did consider whether the plan could bring tax benefits.

During a presentation by the Local Agency Formation Commission, analyst Priscilla Allen shared highlights of the LACFO report that makes 14 recommendations, chief among them to reorganize the water district into a Community Services District — an intermediary step that would give unincorporated Ramona more local control and a potential segue into incorporation.

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Sustainable Ramona Presents Water Conservation Zoom Series

/in , , /by /Ramona Sentinelby Julie Gallant

Sustainable Ramona will kick off a series of free Zoom meetings on sustainability with a Water Conservation Resources series set for Sept. 20-24.

Future Zoom series will cover resources for homes and businesses; transportation, including electric vehicles and public transportation; agriculture, including information on farming using solar energy, called agrivoltaics; sustainable gardening, including composting and worm farming.

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Water District Refunds Spirit of Joy Church $27K in Emergency Services Fees

/in , , /by /Ramona Sentinelby Julie Gallant Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Ramona Municipal Water District directors unanimously agreed Tuesday to refund Spirit of Joy Lutheran Church $27,343, acknowledging that there was a lack of clarity in determining how and when building projects should be assessed for emergency services.

The decision brings closure to a request the church has been making to the water district since November 2019.

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Ramona Water District Directors Looking at Increasing Staff and Eliminating Sewer Rate Increase

/in , , /by /Ramona Sentinelby Julie Gallant

Ramona Municipal Water District directors will review the 2021-22 budget over the next month to decide, among other things, if the district should hire more staff and follow through on sewer rate increases.

Although the water district directors approved the budget in June 2020 as part of a two-year budget package, they will consider making updates based on staffing impacts from General Manager David Barnum’s retirement earlier this year and the decision to phase out the untreated water system to save the district $42 million in deferred maintenance costs and $1.2 million in annual maintenance costs.

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Water District Director Gary Hurst Named a Delegate to County Water Authority Board

/in , /by /Ramona Sentinelby Julie Gallant Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Ramona Municipal Water District directors unanimously agreed May 11 to appoint Director Gary Hurst as a delegate to the San Diego County Water Authority’s Board of Directors.

Hurst will replace the water district’s former general manager, David Barnum, in that role. Barnum had served as the district’s representative to the County Water Authority for several years before he retired in March 2021.

The County Water Authority is the regional wholesaler and sole provider of water to the Ramona water district. Currently, The water district has 1.5 percent of the County Water Authority voting rights.

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Ramona Water District Introduces New Phone App Residents Can Use to Pay Bills

/in , , /by /Ramona Sentinelby Julie Gallant

The Ramona Municipal Water District has unveiled a new mobile phone app that allows customers to view and pay bills and to review details of their account, including their water consumption history.

 

(Editor’s note: The Ramona Municipal District is one of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies that deliver water across the metropolitan San Diego region.)

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Water District Appoints Ad Hoc Committee to Look at Accounting and Financial Systems

/in , /by /Ramona Sentinelby Julie Gallant

With an eye on improving the Ramona Municipal Water District’s accounting and financial reports, the district’s board of directors unanimously agreed Jan. 12 to appoint a two-person Ad Hoc Financial Reporting Committee, though the committee’s goals and objectives are being debated. The committee is tasked with reviewing and recommending potential changes to the district’s accounting practices and the contents and format of its financial reports, district officials said. The intent is to report the findings and make recommendations if appropriate to the board on Feb. 9.

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