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Resident urges Buellton to explain groundwater fee mailer to customers
Summary
A Buellton resident told the City Council that a recent groundwater sustainability agency mailer sent to property owners is unclear about who will pay and how the proposed fees are calculated, and asked the city to communicate directly with utility account holders before a public hearing in June.
Len Blakenstein, a Buellton resident, told the City Council on May 8 that a notice sent by the local groundwater sustainability agency to property owners did not make clear who will pay the proposed fees or how they will be calculated. "The notice that was sent to property owners is unclear about how much residents of Buellton would actually be charged," Blakenstein said, and asked the city to translate and explain the proposal to account holders.
Blakenstein described two components in the mailer: a small, acreage-based charge (he cited "$2.08 per acre") and a volumetric charge (he said about "$43 and some cents per acre-foot"). He said the mailer did not clarify whether parcels smaller than one acre or condominium units would be charged as one-acre parcels, nor whether third parties might pay on behalf of residents.
In response, Mayor David Silva told Blakenstein the city will host public meetings and that the public comment and waiting period are intended to provide information before any final decision. There was no council action on the comment; staff did not commit to drafting specific outreach on the spot.
Blakenstein asked the city to communicate directly with its water account holders, translating the agency mailer into clear, household-level examples so residents can understand what, if any, fee they will face and when it would be charged. The council did not vote on the request during the meeting.
City staff and the groundwater agency are expected to have further public outreach ahead of the scheduled public hearing next month, and residents who want more information were advised to watch the city's notices for meeting dates and materials.
