Zone 7 to Revise Medeiros Parkway Flood Plain Plan
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Thursday, JUNE 14, 2018 VOLUME LV, NUMBER 24 Your Local News Source Since 1963 SERVING DUBLIN, LIVERMORE, PLEASANTON, SUNOL Zone 7 to Revise Medeiros Parkway Flood Plain Plan By Ron McNicoll officials, plus comments at Zone 7 meetings and in response to a Miti- The proposed creation of a 40-acre flood water detention basin along gated Negative Declaration, have paid off for the residents, the Arroyo Mocho near Medeiros Parkway in Livermore has neighbors Zone 7 General Manager Valerie Pryor is notifying the board of See Inside Section A concerned. They see the project as harming a nature park already on directors that the staff will work on revising the project. Section A is filled with the site. The park, known as the Oak Grove Nature Reserve, is located Zone 7 will continue to work with the community and the City of information about arts, people, on the northside of a bicycle path that runs through the site. Livermore to respect the Oak Grove Nature Area nearby, said Pryor. entertainment and special events. There were also concerns raised over impacts during construction It’s likely the revised project will “significantly reduce the excavation There are education stories, a with 100,000 cubic yards of dirt and gravel scheduled to be removed of materials and associated truck traffic,” said Pryor. variety of features, and the arts from the site upstream from the Holmes Street bridge. According to Zone 7 will share details with the public. The earliest the board would and entertainment and the Negative Declaration, this would amount to 6250 trips of dump consider adopting a plan would be in August. bulletin board. trucks during the 270 day project. The project includes 40 acres along a 0.7 mile stretch of the Arroyo A tour of the project area with Zone 7 Water Agency and Livermore (See FLOOD PLAIN. page 10) Parcel Tax Zone 7 Budget Points to Water Proposal Rate Boosts Rejected Next Two Years By Ron McNicoll There will be no parcel tax A potential 8% water rate in- on the November 2018 ballot in crease next year, and another Livermore. increase in 2020 of 5% plus a On May 21st, the Livermore Consumer Price Index figure is in City Council asked staff to come the proposed two-year budget for back last Monday with a proce- Zone 7 Water Agency. dure to create a parcel tax for a The budget will be discussed by vote this November to support Zone 7 directors when they meet the Bankhead. June 19 at 7 p.m. in the board’s No council member or speaker meeting room at 100 North Can- during the public hearing sup- yons Parkway, Livermore. ported the idea. Directors won’t be voting di- Mayor John Marchand intro- rectly on any water rate increase at duced the topic by stating, "I was that time. The figures for the bal- anced budget, which was reviewed thinking this was a tax for the at a special Zone 7 meeting June 6, arts where the Bankhead could Photo - Doug Jorgensen creates that possibility. benefit." A cattle drive from Robertson Park Stadium to downtown Livermore signaled the start of the Livermore However, directors won’t dis- Councilmembers Bob Woerner Parade. The drive ended back at the stadium. The drive was just one of the activities held in honor of cuss setting water rates for Calen- and Steven Spedowfski said plac- the 100th anniversary of the Livermore Rodeo. A cattle drive will take place in downtown Pleasanton dar Year 2019 until October, as they ing the proposal on the agenda to kick off the Alameda County Fair on Friday. traditionally do. They then take was a way of starting a discussion their final reading of the motion at regarding the long term viability the November meeting, which al- of the Bankhead Theater. lows enough time for any new rate The Bankhead is operated by to take effect on Jan. 1. the Livermore Valley Performing A water rate study is currently Arts Center (LVPAC). During New Los Alamos Management Team underway. It is expected to be ready the public hearing, LVPAC Trea- by the October meeting, according surer Henry Huff pointed out that to Assistant General Manager of neither board members nor staff Includes University of California Finance Osborn Solitei. were contacted about the pro- At the June 6 meeting, directors posed tax. "I want to be sure city heard Solitei go over the budgets By Jeff Garberson The new consortium is called valued at about $2.5 billion per for 2018-19, the fiscal year that staff and council understand our To the surprise of many, the Triad National Security LLC, con- year. It will last for five years, with financial performance." He said begins on July 1 this year. A sec- University of California will re- sisting of Texas A&M University the possibility of five one-year ond year budget for 2019-20 was that LVPAC has generated posi- main part of the management team and Battelle Memorial Institute, in extensions. tive cash flow for each of the last included. in a new, nonprofit consortium addition to UC. NNSA is the federal agency that This is the second time Zone 7 three fiscal periods. It expects to chosen to manage Los Alamos According to the National oversees the core nuclear weapons has drawn up a two-year budget. It reach that goal again next month National Laboratory starting Oc- Nuclear Security Administration missions at Los Alamos, as well as was first done in 2016, in response when it closes books on the cur- tober 1. (NNSA), the contract is currently (See LOS ALAMOS, page 7) to Valley water retailers’ requests for a longer range forecast, which (See PARCEL TAX, page 10) would help them with their own budget planning. The four retailers — Livermore, Cal Water Service, Suit Says State Council Favored Twin Tunnels Over Restoring Delta Pleasanton and Dublin San Ramon Services District — are wholesaler By Ron McNicoll Center for Biological Diversity, The Cal WaterFix, the succes- Zone 7 Water Agency and two Zone 7’s customers. Water users get A coalition of environmental Friends of the River, Center for sor to the Bay Delta Conservation other State Water Contractors in their bills from the retailers. groups has sued the Califor- Food Safety, Sierra Club Califor- Plan, plans to build a bypass under Fremont and San Jose. In addition to any water rate nia Delta Stewardship Council nia, Planning and Conservation the Delta for 35 miles, using one Conservationists have objected hike from Zone 7, the four retailers (CDSC) over what they say are League and Restore the Delta. or two gigantic tunnels. The bypass for years to the proposed water could impose their own water rate violations of law affecting Delta The suit contends that the CDSC would take fresh, low-saline water diversion, arguing that the depriva- increases, because they have their environment restoration. violated the Delta Reform Act and from the Sacramento River and put tion of fresh water flow from Lake own costs to meet. The suit was filed May 25 in CEQA by amending its Delta Plan it into a facility in the south Delta. Oroville will lead to more salt wa- Most of the items in the budget Sacramento Superior Court, where to give the 35-mile single tunnel From there, the water would go ter invasion in dry years from the have already been approved by the headquarters for the council are or double 35-mile tunnels of the into the canals now used to send Carquinez Strait and Sacramento board at meetings during the cur- located. proposed Delta WaterFix priority water to the Central Valley and River, which would harm plant rent fiscal year, which began last The plaintiffs include the over restoring the Delta. Southern California, as well as July 1. (See LAWSUIT, page 9) No one from the public spoke (See WATER, page 10) Dublin Set to Readjust Fees Development By Ron McNicoll Altogether, Dublin faces $9.3 Approved for Dublin will consider updat- million annually in costs for its ing its user fees at its June 19th permitting system. However, the Groth Bros. Site meeting. city fell short of that figure in FY On June 5th, The City Council 2017-18 by $220,000. The city Development plans for the for- at its June 5 meeting looked at wants to return its cost recovery to mer Groth Bros. site in downtown staff’s proposal for balancing fees $9.3 million in the future by filling Livermore were approved Monday in relation to the costs of working shortfalls and by lowering what by the Livermore City Council. on permits issued for a wide vari- turned out to be too much revenue The property is located at the ety of services. The permits range in some categories. The changes corner of South L Street and First from fire inspections to producing will be used to adjust shortfalls Street, stretching along L Street to a copy of an accident report from and excess revenue in different fee Railroad Avenue. the police department. categories that occurred because The vote was unanimous, with The city aims to recover 98% costs changed since the fees were praise for the proposal by the of the costs of issuing fees as the instituted in 2012. council. average for all of the permitting An example of an excess fee Councilmember Bob Comber departments. By law, the city can- charge that should be lowered is commented, "We've been waiting Photo - Doug Jorgensen for this for a long.