The Weekly Newspaper of El Segundo Herald Publications - El Segundo, Torrance, Manhattan Beach, Hawthorne, Lawndale, & Inglewood Community Newspapers Since 1911 - (310) 322-1830 - Vol. 104, No. 13 - March 26, 2015 Inside This Issue Certified & Licensed Professionals.....................14 Classifieds............................4 Crossword/Sudoku.............4 Film Review..........................3 Legals............................ 12,13 Police Reports.....................3 Politically Speaking............5 Real Estate.....................9-11 Sports........................... 2,6,15 School Spotlight..................3 Weekend Forecast AYSO Girls’ U12 All-Stars Take Western States Championship The El Segundo Girls’ U12 pose with their state championship medals. The team trounced Davis and Five-Cities for the Western States Champions title. The state championship team is made up of Coach Kate O’Riley, assistant coach Richard Mark, Leah Abitante, Abbi Agnew, Ashley Alvarado, Sarah Bedoyan, Lidia Cicchini, Marlee Johnson, Lizzie Kapoor, Peyton Lubs, Marcela Martinez, Victoria Mora, Madelyn O’Riley and Trinity Parascandola. For story, see page 6. Photo by Gregg McMullin. Friday Sunny 80˚/60˚ Saturday Sunny 74˚/59˚ Sunday Partly Cloudy 74˚/59˚ Making Sense of the Water, Sewer Rate Increases By Brian Simon As promised in a letter from the City of El Segundo last month, local residents and businesses will see their water bills increase starting April 1. The El Segundo City Council authorized new water and sewer rates after a mandated Proposition 218 ballot protest process fell short of the required majority of customers needed to stop the increases. Water rates will go up annually over the next five years to help offset similar increases imposed on the City by outside agencies. Last year, an independent consultant conducted separate water and sewer rate studies to determine the City’s total fixed and variable costs. “The existing rates, if maintained at the current level, will not generate adequate revenues to support the operation and maintenance of the water utility, the proposed capital improvement and replacement program and the increasing cost of imported potable water,” the water rate study from AKM Consulting Engineers concluded. “The City of El Segundo operates its water utility as a self-sufficient enterprise. In order to continue this, the water utility will need to generate sufficient revenues to meet normal and emergency demands in accordance with federal and state requirements, support operations and maintenance, fund its long-term facility replacement and capital improvement program, and establish adequate earnings to respond to emergencies.” Further elaborating on the need for the water and sewer funds to be self-sufficient, Public Works Director Stephanie Katsouleas explained that the objective is not to run at a deficit or to make money. “We want to hit a sweet spot between the two,” she said. “The consultants developed and proposed a rate structure so that the average user won’t see a large increase, while at the same time reflecting the increases the City itself incurs when we purchase water.” Katsouleas joined the City around the time the last set of water rate increases went into effect in 2010. She pointed out that the City’s cost for water at that point was $861 per acre foot. As of this January, that price had risen to $1,204. “It was unrealistic to hope consumer rates wouldn’t go up given that the City’s own cost has skyrocketed due to MWD’s [Metropolitan Water District] increases over the last five years,” Katsouleas said. “Unfortunately, we don’t control the commodity cost because we use 100 percent imported potable water and thus are subject to what MWD charges.” MWD sits at the top of the water distribution chain. The City actually buys its water from West Basin Municipal Water District, which purchases its share from MWD. El Segundo then conveys the water through its own system and sends bills to local residential and business property owners. There are two elements to a water bill. The water See Rate Increases, page 8 School Board Hears WASC High School Visit Presentation By Duane Plank The Tuesday night meeting of the El Segundo Unified School District School Board featured a special presentation made by High School principal Jaime Mancilla, Vice-principal Ali Rabiei, and WASC Chairperson Mark Doering. WASC is the acronym for the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. One of six regional accrediting associations in the United States, the WASC professionals visit school campuses and accredit the school relying on a dual-purpose agenda, positing that the school “must be worthy of the trust placed in them to provide high-quality learning opportunities, and continually demonstrate self-improvement.” The WASC cycle is six years. During the 18 months prior to the visit, the school prepares a “self-study” report, which includes a detailed analysis of the school’s data and programs, and also prepares for a campus visit by a committee of six WASC evaluators. The WASC evaluators were on the High School campus from March the 8th thru March the 11th, validating the school’s “self-study” report. While on campus, the WASC evaluators met parents, toured the campus, made See School Board, page 12
Herald_032615_FNL_lorez
To see the actual publication please follow the link above