HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Report - August 24, 2004 B-02 SMAGENDA ITEM Fjo Z
CITY OF LODI
COUNCIL COMMUNICATION
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AGENDA TITLE: Approve Letter to City of Stockton Regarding its Consideration of a Mitigated
Negative Declaration for Stockton's Proposed Sphere of Influence Amendment
MEETING DATE: August 24, 2004 Special Meeting
PREPARED BY: City Attorney
RECOMMENDED ACTION: That the City Council approve Letter to City of Stockton Regarding
its Consideration of a Mitigated Negative Declaration for Stockton's
Proposed Sphere of Influence Amendment. (Letter to be provided
on blue sheet prior to the meeting).
FUNDING: NIA
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D. StepheA Schwabauer
City Attorney
APPROVED:
Janet Keeter, Interim City Manager
CITY COUNCIL
LARRY D. HANSEN, Mayor
JOHN BECKMAN,
Mayor Pro Tempore
SUSAN HITCHCOCK
EMILY HOWARD
KEITH LAND
August 24, 2004
Honorable Mayor Podesto
& City Council Members
City of Stockton
425 N. EI Dorado Street
Stockton, CA 95202-1997
CITY OF LODI
CITY HALL, 221 WEST PINE STREET
P.O. BOX 3006
LODI, CALIFORNIA 95241 -1 91 0
(209) 333-6702
FAX (209) 333-6807
cityclrk@lodi.gov
Re: Stockton Sphere of Influence Amendments
Dear Mayor Podesto & Council Members:
JANET S. KEETER
Interim City
Manager
SUSAN J. BLACKSTON
City Clerk
D. STEPHEN SCHWABAUER
City Attorney
This letter is not intended to lay out Lodi's legal challenges to Stockton's Sphere of
Influence amendments. The letters prepared by our counsel lay them out clearly. Instead,
I would like to speak on behalf of the ratepayers who fund the operation of Lodi's
wastewater system.
As you know, they have been hit very hard. First by the threat of significant liability in our
groundwater contamination litigation. More recently they were hit by an order from the
Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board requiring them to spend over $30
million dollars in the next 18 months to upgrade the plant. If our Mantecan neighbors
experience is any guide, we expect to get hit again with an upgrade requirement to go to
reverse osmosis treatment; an expense that will drive Manteca's sewer bill alone to over
$150 per month per customer.
Anticipating this hit, Lodi's Water/Wastewater Master Plan in 2001 proposed to go to
dedicated land applications of its treated wastewater. The hope of course was to save
this crushing blow to our ratepayers. A plan was prepared by our engineers, West Yost,
the same team that services Stockton's Master Plan Infrastructure update.
Unfortunately Lodi's plans to protect its ratepayers are now severely threatened by
Stockton's development plans. Stockton not only proposes to develop homes and retail
power centers all the way up to Lodi's 60 year old treatment facility, it also proposes to
place its drinking water intake for its new water treatment plant downstream of Lodi's
existing wastewater outfall.
We are all familiar with the pressure placed on existing uses by encroaching
development. Airports, dairies and farming operations all suffer as homes are built around
them. Recently Stockton acted to protect these interests passing a right -to -farm
ordinance. Clearly this Council understands the challenge your development plans pose
to our ratepayers.
As Lodi sees it, your approval for this development will not only threaten to deny us our
historical land discharge; it will prevent us from expanding it, and leave us with nowhere to
discharge at all. In all events, the loser will be the Lodi ratepayer.
I am sure Stockton has seen the face of its own ratepayers. These are often people on
fixed incomes: our grandparents; our disabled and our low-income families. The Lodi
City Council cannot and will not ignore them. We implore you to consider them as well.
Sincerely,
LARRY D. HANSEN
Mayor
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