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Thank you,
David Dilworth, for the Board of Trustees
Hello HOPE,
I am deeply concerned about the Monterey Bay area’s water supply, and, as a resident of Pacific Grove, I am alarmed by my town Council’s move to single-handedly support the project proposal put forth by Mr. Agha of Moss Landing.
PG simply does not have the resources or expertise to take on a project of this magnitude, and it is also unnecessary given the plans of the water management district vis-a-vis deep well reclamation and a smaller desal plant in Sand City. I am certainly planning on attending the PG council meeting on May 16 when they plan on discussing the proposed deal with Mr. Agha, but I am not sure what to say.
Basically, my reaction to this plan (well covered in the PG Bulletin, Pine Cone and Monterey County Herald) is that the PG town treasury is not a venture capital fund – Mr. Agha is presenting a risky, high-cost plan to a town which does not have a whole lot of money but has a lot of obligations right now.
It is possible, in the future, that this venture might allow PG to make a profit by supplying water to the whole region. However, what if CalAm comes up with a competing project? Is our small town then going to be in competitive business with a company that has done business with the state for decades? A small town which has no expertise in such matters?
Mr. Agha is claiming that his proposal will be “no-cost” to our town but I fear that this just means lending, i.e. major debt down the line – even if it does not, engaging in such negotiations takes up the time of our town manager and attorney, as well as the councilmen assigned to this fruitless project.
What is HOPE’s position on this issue? What can I do, as a concerned citizen, to get in the way of PG’s ludicrous idea?
Thanks for any help you can give!
-Joel