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Board narrows information needs on wastewater options; asks staff for cost, ownership and O&M details
Summary
Directors debated collection, treatment and disposal options for Los Olivos wastewater, asking staff to return with concrete cost comparisons (O&M and capital), ownership scenarios (district vs homeowner tanks), acreage needs for disposal and likely grant/financing prospects ahead of a May public workshop and an April LAFCO appearance.
The meeting's longest discussion focused on wastewater treatment planning: directors and staff walked through collection (gravity vs effluent), treatment site needs, disposal acreage and the ownership and operation models that will shape homeowner costs.
Staff told the board that many of the engineering pieces are in place and that Stantec is preparing a design and cost estimate expected next month; those deliverables will feed a 60–80% design and an assessment engineer’s report required for a Proposition 218 property‑owner vote. Directors repeatedly asked for concrete, comparable numbers: capital and O&M costs for in‑district gravity versus effluent solutions, cost estimates for connecting to the City of Solvang, and household‑level ongoing charges under each ownership model. “I think for having a robust public workshop on treatment, we need a well‑defined in district solution,” one director said, requesting acreage estimates and potential sites. The board instructed staff to compile: (a) O&M cost comparisons for district gravity, district effluent and sewering to Solvang; (b) examples and pros/cons of district‑owned versus homeowner‑owned tanks; (c) likely costs for connecting to Solvang and any initiation/connection fees; and (d) potential grant sources and the probability of success.
