Vote No! on Measure K, Don’t Risk Bankruptcy

PCWFR consists of business owners, civic leaders, conservationists, Petaluma citizens and neighbors who care about the future of Petaluma.

A small group of naysayers has launched an initiative to roll back the City approved water rates necessary to pay for our new water treatment & recycling plant and updated water system. Without these infrastructure improvements, Petaluma will be threatened with fines for Clean Water Act violations, will lack recycled water to extend our water supply and would default on our low interest State loan; costing the people of Petaluma up to $60 million in additional interest while permanently damaging the City’s credit rating.

Bad for Water,
Bad for City Services

This short sighted plan is bad for our environment, bad for our water supply and bad for the future of Petaluma. It will negatively impact residents as the City struggles to make up the revenue shortfall. City government will likely be forced to cut back on police and fire services, roads and civic infrastructure, Parks and Recreation facilities, and more…

Don’t Be Fooled

Join our broad citizen coalition of Petalumans for Clean Water and Fiscal Responsibility (PCWFR) and vote NO! on Measure K.

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Measure K: It’s NOT Worth the Cost

Measure K will roll back the City approved water rates necessary to pay for our new and nearly complete water treatment plant and updated water system. Without these infrastructure improvements, Petaluma will lose both water quality and financial stability.

Bad for water quality*:

Without completion of the new facilities:

  • Waste water treatment operations and maintenance will be diminished
  • Pollution of the Petaluma River will continue
  • Recycled water programs (for recreational and agricultural irrigation) will be at risk
  • Conservation programs will be at risk
  • Public health and safety will be at risk
  • Our drinking water supply will suffer, especially in these in times of drought

Bad for the economy*:

If this measure passes, the City still has to make up the shortfall:

  • Additional fines will be levied by State for Clean Water Act violations
  • We will lose 2.5% State Revolving loan
  • Repayment status will damage the City’s credit rating
  • Repayment for the nearly completed facility could cost an additional $60 million more
  • Bonding capacity for future City projects will be at risk
  • We will lose State and local grant money for wetland restoration and trails

Bad for Petaluma*:

City Services could decline by 20% ($8 million):

  • Police protection could be cut
  • Fire and ambulance services could be cut
  • Road and civic infrastructure operations and maintenance could be cut
  • Parks, ball fields and recreation facilities could be closed

Vote No on Measure K! It’s just a bad deal for Petaluma

The initiative to rollback water and wastewater service rates is a short sighted plan that is bad for the environment, water supply, and the future of Petaluma. Don’t be fooled. On November 4, 2008, get out the vote and VOTE NO! on the water rollback rate initiative.

* Petaluma City Council Resolution Opposing Initiative to Reduce Current City of Petaluma Wastewater and Water Service Rates

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League of Women Voters of Sonoma County: No on K

EDITOR: The League of Women Voters of Sonoma County supports the unanimous decision taken by the Petaluma City Council to oppose Measure K.

The league’s opposition is consistent with our wastewater policy, which includes protection of public health and the environment; encouragement of beneficial uses of wastewater; flexibility of design to accommodate future technological requirements and population changes; and equitable financing of construction, operation and maintenance.

We find that Petaluma’s sewer/water rate structure is consistent with the rates charged by other communities in Sonoma County. Petaluma’s rates are in the mid-range of Sonoma County’s nine incorporated cities.

Measure K threatens to undermine the favorable wastewater plant financing agreement that Petaluma was fortunate enough arrange with the state and which cannot be duplicated today.

Measure K could do substantial harm to the financial stability of the city of Petaluma. Making up the shortfall created by Measure K might seriously impact the city’s general fund. The League of Women Voters of Sonoma County strongly urges the voters of Petaluma to vote no on Measure K.

CHLELE GUMMER
President,
League of Women Voters of Sonoma County
Santa Rosa
(Published in The Press Democrat, October 20, 2008)

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Sierra Club Redwood Chapter Endorsement

Printed in Redwood Needles, October 2008
Petaluma’s new Ellis Creek wastewater-treatment plant is 90% complete. It is a visionary facility that will use natural wetlands filtering to do a final cleanse of wastewater to tertiary standard. The wastewater can then be recycled for many local uses, and the 30 acres of ‘polishing’ wetlands will also provide habitat and flood control. The new plant will be economical to run, since using wetlands for the third stage of cleaning reduces energy and chemical use.
It has been an expensive but necessary upgrade, replacing a failing plant built in the 1930’s and financed by a low-cost loan from the state of California.
Opponents of the new plant preferred a system that would have been cheaper initially, but would now be needing costly upgrades to comply with increasingly stringent clean water requirements.
Measure K is an attack on the new treatment plant and its proponents on the City Council. If passed, the Measure will roll back sewer rates to the level they were at before plant construction began – a reduction of about 10%. Sewer rates are now average for a Sonoma County city.
If Measure K passes, it will become difficult for the city to pay its water and sewage bills, let alone perform maintenance on infrastructure. The city may need to dip into general fund money to buy water and treat sewage, cutting into other city services such as fire, police and parks. In the worst case, Petaluma could go bankrupt or default on its loan from the state.
Don’t let the backers of this Measure punish Petaluma for doing the right thing for the environment.
Vote NO on Measure K.

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Madrone Audubon Endorsement

The Madrone Audubon Society of Sonoma County would like to state their support for efforts to defeat Measure K on the Petaluma ballot in November 2008. While we empathize with the negative economic consequences this measure would cause in Petaluma our main concern is the environmental damage which Measure K would create by destroying ten years of environmental planning. The potential crippling of your new wastewater treatment plant, possible termination of your recycled water program, and the resulting potential reduction of wetlands and watershed education with the passage of Measure K are a severe blow to water and wetlands conservation efforts. We hope the Petaluma community sees and values the negative sides of Measure K and votes NO.

Sincerely,

Janeann Erickson
President
Madrone Audubon

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Sonoma County Taxpayers’ Association Opposes Measure K

Measure K Requires City of Petaluma to Reduce its Water & Sewer Rates.
This is a citizen backed initiative to reduce Petaluma’s Water and Sewer rates to the January 1, 2006 level. Because households and businesses are cutting back on water use rates are going up to pay for lost revenue.

Pro - The measure would save the average customer $23 a month and would restrict future increases.

Con - Opponents state that the result would be a 20 percent cut in Petaluma’s operating budget.

Lawsuits from contractors over stopped work at the City’s new $110 million sewerage treatment facility and a shredded credit rating.

Executive Committee recommendation: No recommendations because of a tie vote.

Board of Directors recommended a NO vote with the proviso that 1. In future annual audits the City will agree to an independent review of the appropriateness of allocating administrative and overhead costs to each of the City’s utilities and 2. In the future the City shall agree to comply with the EPA model revenue program as it relates to the division of costs and charges between current users and new development as well as between residents and various categories of commercial customers.

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Sonoma County Democratic Central Committee Endorsement

PRESS RELEASE: Sonoma County Democratic Party opposes the Petaluma Wastewater and Water Services Initiative

The Sonoma County Democratic Party has passed a resolution of opposition to the Wastewater & Water Service Initiative, which will appear on the November 2008 ballot in Petaluma.

“This irresponsible initiative threatens to undermine the fiscal stability of the City of Petaluma and places essential city services in the crosshairs,” says Stephen Gale, Chair of the Sonoma County Democratic Party. “We’re proud to join the list of opponents.”

The initiative has also been opposed by the Petaluma City Council, the Building Trades Council of Sonoma, Lake and Mendocino Counties, the Redwood Chapter of the Sierra Club, AFSCME Local 675, and the Accountable Development Coalition, an alliance of labor, environmental and housing advocates.

The text of the resolution passed by the Sonoma County Democratic Party is below:

A Resolution in Support of the Financial Stability of the City of Petaluma and in Opposition to the Wastewater & Water Service Initiative that will appear on the November 2008 Petaluma ballot.

Whereas the City Manager, Financial Officer, and professional staff of the City of Petaluma, and all the members of Petaluma’s City Council unanimously affirm that passing the Wastewater and Water Service Initiative in November will severely undermine the financial stability of Petaluma, and may expose it to major financial ruin, and

Whereas we have reviewed the details of this irresponsible Initiative and note the longer term harm that it will cause to the City of Petaluma, and the adverse effects it will have on the quality of life of Petaluma’s families,

We, the Sonoma County Democratic Central Committee, therefore, unreservedly give our support to the people of Petaluma and urge the voters of Petaluma to reject the Wastewater and Water Service Initiative.

We strongly urge a “NO” vote in November.

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