North Bay Leadership Council projects economic effects of water shortage
At a conference in Petaluma last Thursday, the North Bay Leadership Council presented an “Economic Insight” report showing the consequences to the local economy of reduced water supply. According to the report, a 30% water shortage could result in more than $4 billion in lost revenues due to job losses and reduced consumer spending.
The report, prepared by Dr. Robert Eyler, an economist from Sonoma State University, recommends that public policy decisions promote “best management practices” such as conservation and recycling. The conference included a panel discussion by Tony McCormick, Agilent Technologies and Skip Skivington and Don King, Kaiser Permanente.
Water Initiative ready for petition signatures
Secretary of State Debra Bowen announced on Thursday that Don Perata and Michael J. Machado, proponents of a new water initiative, may begin collecting petition signatures for their measure.
The measure would authorize $6,835,000,000 in bonds paid from the state’s General Fund for water-related projects. These would include conservation, reclamation, distribution, storage, and ecosystem improvements in the Sacramento-San Juaquin delta, as well as statewide conservation and pollution cleanup projects.
It would allocate approximately 16 percent of the money statewide to prevent or reduce contamination of groundwater that serves as a source of drinking water and 4 percent to statewide water recycling projects. The state Legislative Analyst estimates the cost would be $13.3 billion over 30 years, at $445 million per year, to pay off both the principal ($6.835 billion) and interest (about $6.5 billion) costs on the bonds.
The proponents for this measure must collect signatures of 433,971 registered voters—or 5 percent of the total votes cast for governor in the 2006 gubernatorial election—by May 12, 2008, in order to qualify for the ballot.
Superintendent search begins with listening
Leadership Associates, the agency chosen last week by Sonoma Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees to conduct the search for a new superintendent of schools, will begin the search by listening to the board and then community groups in a series of meetings designed to form an accurate profile of the ideal superintendent for the district.
“This is the first time we’re looking for a superintendent through an agency,” said newly elected school board president, Camerino Hawing. “I believe the input the community [and] the Board of Trustees and teachers and administrators [will] confirm what we are looking for … in the qualifications in the superintendent.”
Larry Aceves, partner in Leadership Associates, of Mission Viejo, explained that he and his partner, Jim Brown, will “schedule time with folks, and what we ask are the qualities they’re looking for and what are the issues Sonoma is facing and what do they think we should know.” The better they know the district, the better they can cast their nets for the right candidate. “Our process to make the best decision is to have the best knowledge,” he said. “We have plenty of organizations here from the community that can help us. It’s going to be exciting.”
The process will not be without its challenges. “We’re in competition for a superintendent, too,” said Hawing, “Healdsburg is looking for one, I think another district in Marin is looking for one, Ft Bragg is looking for one. Sonoma is a special place,” he said, “however we don’t have the resources Healdsburg has, or Marin county.” Such competition makes the choice of a search agency even more important.
Of the two agencies considered, Executive Search, of Sacramento, and Leadership Associates, Leadership Associates seemed to the school board to have the flexibility and accessibility they require. “Between the two of them,” Hawing said, “I felt that [Leadership Associates] were more what we were looking for. I felt more comfortable. I came with an open mind to listen to the two them.” Still, he added, the agency is to search, not decide on the candidate. “Whatever is the agency, the only ones who are going to make the decision to choose the superintendent is going to be us.”
Cell phone at scene of arrest uncovers additional crime
Last Wednesday, deputies responding a call about individuals at the Casa Grande parking lot rummaging through a pickup, trying to gain access to other cars, and finally driving off in a Green Ford Explorer, spotted a vehicle matching the description at First Street and Nathanson Creek, made a u- turn and pulled it over.
Inside, they found four males, whom they detained. They found one in possession of a small amount of marijuana, for which he was later cited, and another in possession of a purple cell phone, which he admitted did not belong to him. When the others also denied owning the phone, police used the phone to make calls to try to determine the owner, who turned out to be a woman who was at the Swiss Hotel attending a holiday party. When contacted, she said she’d left her cell phone in her purse, which she’d had hanging behind her chair, or in a planter behind her chair. She valued the purse at $400. As police searched the Ford Explorer, they found a black leather purse which contained the woman’s California license, her keys, and $40 in cash.
Police arrested William Pech, 18, from Boyes Hot Springs, for possession of stolen property and sent him to Sonoma County Jail. They cited the 21-year-old for possession of marijuana, and released the other two.
