Hey neighbors,
I hope this finds you all getting ready for a great Christmas season. We sure enjoy driving through our neighborhood and looking at all everyone has done to decorate. Our kids sure love to see your lights...even if it has been the 3rd time that week. Santa's and snowmen are the backseat favorite!
I wanted to provide you an update to our stormwater discussions from some weeks back. I just got contacted this week from the ADEQ staff that is reviewing our subdivision and has prepared a site inspection report and "Notice of Opportunity to Correct" that will be provided to some lot owners within Rancho Mirage. Since I put him in contact with Dave (to obtain info related to who owns what lots) I expect that this may be the reason we have seen some work in cleaning up our streets. Thanks Dave for your help.
The ADEQ staff relayed to me that this report focuses on the landowners along my street (since I was the complaint). He mentioned that he would be preparing more reports for adjacent streets as time permits in their task assignments. I would suggest that you contact ADEQ and make your own compaints (see our previous post on where to log your complaint and contact me for the specific ADEQ staff member to contact) for your street. I am sure this will help in bringing your street into more compliance.
Hope this helps. Please contact us for more info.
Take care,
Emery
Friday, December 10, 2010
Friday, November 12, 2010
BIG RACES AT PIR IN PHOENIX THIS WEEKEND!!!
Camping worlf Truck Race.
Bodine wins series championship after a sub 13 place run...not sure of final place. Hornaday was there to congrat...quickly after the race end.
NSCS. Cup cars Qualify had 3 pole sitters with broken track records with 99 finally catching the best Run...cooler air as the sun went down.
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Thursday, November 11, 2010
Happy Veterans Day!
I am proud to have served my Country. Geaux USA! I was in the U.S. Air Force from 1992-1996. Stationed at Lackland AFB, TX (San Antonio, 6-weeks for basic training), Sheppard AFB, TX (Witicha Falls, 21-weeks for Medical Laboratory Technician - Phase 1 training), Keesler AFB, MS (Biloxi, rest of my tour for Phase 2 MLT training and permanent party).
Some years ago at a Layton family reunion (occurring near Veterans Day) we had an evening where the family asked for all veterans or currently serving military members to stand to be recognized. The family then asked for each to share some experiences from their tours of duty...starting at the oldest family member, I as the youngest went last. It was an interesting and in some ways uncomfortable experience. I stood as one of the (and maybe the only) person from my "age" or "generation" to have served. I stood with my father, uncles and great uncles (brothers or brothers in law of my grandmother).
(WWII Monument)
Some years ago at a Layton family reunion (occurring near Veterans Day) we had an evening where the family asked for all veterans or currently serving military members to stand to be recognized. The family then asked for each to share some experiences from their tours of duty...starting at the oldest family member, I as the youngest went last. It was an interesting and in some ways uncomfortable experience. I stood as one of the (and maybe the only) person from my "age" or "generation" to have served. I stood with my father, uncles and great uncles (brothers or brothers in law of my grandmother).
(Korean War Monument)
These men in some and most cases really "fought" for our country. They served in a time in our nations history when friends and family members never came home...alive. I remember a story of a grand uncle told when flying back across the English channel in a plane so riddled with bullet holes and flack damage they did not know if it would hold together to make it back to England from a bombing run over Germany...or if there was even enough fuel to do such. I remember when my uncles and father served in a war not popular here in the US...and were most likely persecuted by some in their country during the Vietnam era. I remember my uncle saying his service meant so much to him that he would be proud to have one of his sons serve.
I remember feeling uncomfortable since I had never fought, sweated, or even seen a foreign land during my tour of service. I talked of being watched over as I tried to get assignments abroad (volunteering to enter the USAF and going in "open general" without any specified job assignment, volunteering and passing the entrance exam for the Para-Rescue / Combat Controller USAF Special Forces, volunteering for an assignment for the Air Transportable Hospital from our squadron due in an assignment in "the Sand" and later trying to re-enter the Navy as a Sub Nuclear Engineer during the last year of my engineering studies). I recalled and shared on how I could look back and know the Lord kept me, for some reason, from those assignments.
I still often think of this reunion experience and am grateful for my heritage...especially at these times of the year when we recognize the men and women who serve...and who keep serving...and support their families that do serve. Of all those who selflessly have given their lives...or been willing to do such for my freedom. For our freedom. I have always felt guilty somewhat...that I don't have some great story to tell someday to my children and grandchildren about my tours in foreign lands.
A few months ago I finally found some closure. I was driving home one night thinking of my label as a "veteran". I was blessed with a thought. I immediately began to cry and almost had to pull over due to overwhelming moment.
In my mind I had a whisper from heaven. It said "no son...you did not...but you faithfully served many men and women who did".
I immediately began to think of the countless faces that I saw, the thousands or tens or perhaps hundreds of thousands of tubes of blood...containing names of people whose face I never saw...and I will never meet. Retirees, spouses of retirees, active duty members, spouses and families of active duty members that as at some moment in time...I was their lab technician. Preparing blood for transfusions for the dozen or more open heart bypass surgeries our hospital did every week. Drawing units of autologous blood from men and women preparing for knee or hip replacement surgeries. Preparing special units of blood for neonatal primi-babies that were struggling in their entry into this world. Drawing blood from hundreds or thousands of young men and women who donated to help save lives around the world. These and many other scenarios.
To those out there...I am grateful that I had some small opportunity to help you, serve you and with love sweat and work with exactness for you. I treated each one of those tubes as if it were my mother, my grandmother, my child.
I cannot with words express my love for my country. What a place this United States of America is and has the potential to become (again). What a place it may still be if more took the opportunity to serve and learn and understand the sacrifice that is selflessly performed for our brother, sister, etc. To all those that continue to serve and most importantly to those supporting and waiting for those out in our service. I stand and salute you.
Happy Veterans Day.
(Vietnam Monument)
I remember feeling uncomfortable since I had never fought, sweated, or even seen a foreign land during my tour of service. I talked of being watched over as I tried to get assignments abroad (volunteering to enter the USAF and going in "open general" without any specified job assignment, volunteering and passing the entrance exam for the Para-Rescue / Combat Controller USAF Special Forces, volunteering for an assignment for the Air Transportable Hospital from our squadron due in an assignment in "the Sand" and later trying to re-enter the Navy as a Sub Nuclear Engineer during the last year of my engineering studies). I recalled and shared on how I could look back and know the Lord kept me, for some reason, from those assignments.
I still often think of this reunion experience and am grateful for my heritage...especially at these times of the year when we recognize the men and women who serve...and who keep serving...and support their families that do serve. Of all those who selflessly have given their lives...or been willing to do such for my freedom. For our freedom. I have always felt guilty somewhat...that I don't have some great story to tell someday to my children and grandchildren about my tours in foreign lands.
A few months ago I finally found some closure. I was driving home one night thinking of my label as a "veteran". I was blessed with a thought. I immediately began to cry and almost had to pull over due to overwhelming moment.
In my mind I had a whisper from heaven. It said "no son...you did not...but you faithfully served many men and women who did".
I immediately began to think of the countless faces that I saw, the thousands or tens or perhaps hundreds of thousands of tubes of blood...containing names of people whose face I never saw...and I will never meet. Retirees, spouses of retirees, active duty members, spouses and families of active duty members that as at some moment in time...I was their lab technician. Preparing blood for transfusions for the dozen or more open heart bypass surgeries our hospital did every week. Drawing units of autologous blood from men and women preparing for knee or hip replacement surgeries. Preparing special units of blood for neonatal primi-babies that were struggling in their entry into this world. Drawing blood from hundreds or thousands of young men and women who donated to help save lives around the world. These and many other scenarios.
To those out there...I am grateful that I had some small opportunity to help you, serve you and with love sweat and work with exactness for you. I treated each one of those tubes as if it were my mother, my grandmother, my child.
I cannot with words express my love for my country. What a place this United States of America is and has the potential to become (again). What a place it may still be if more took the opportunity to serve and learn and understand the sacrifice that is selflessly performed for our brother, sister, etc. To all those that continue to serve and most importantly to those supporting and waiting for those out in our service. I stand and salute you.
Happy Veterans Day.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Fall Festival at Rancho Mirage by Shea Homes
All neighbors,
In case you missed this in your mail this weekend Shea is hosting a party in our subdivision.
Unfortunately this is overlapping NASCAR weekend here in Arizona (Phoenix International Raceway) and I have volunteer duties that take me to the track. Have fun for us!
Fall Festival at Rancho Mirage
In case you missed this in your mail this weekend Shea is hosting a party in our subdivision.
Unfortunately this is overlapping NASCAR weekend here in Arizona (Phoenix International Raceway) and I have volunteer duties that take me to the track. Have fun for us!
Fall Festival at Rancho Mirage
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Role of Government - D&C 134:1
On this day of voting I wanted to share the following scripture that I read a few weeks ago. I think this provides great insight on the role of our governemnt and political leaders.
Doctrine and Covenants Section 134 verse 1:
We believe that governments were instituted of God for the benefit of man; and that he holds men accountable for their acts in relation to them, both in making laws and administering them, for the good and safety of society.
The section in D&C 134 continues with more details related to the role of government, role of religion and the role of man in administering in both. Feel free to go HERE for a on-line copy of the scripture.
As a reminder please take the time to VOTE TODAY for those you feel will faithfully serve you, I, our families and God in this manner.
Doctrine and Covenants Section 134 verse 1:
We believe that governments were instituted of God for the benefit of man; and that he holds men accountable for their acts in relation to them, both in making laws and administering them, for the good and safety of society.
The section in D&C 134 continues with more details related to the role of government, role of religion and the role of man in administering in both. Feel free to go HERE for a on-line copy of the scripture.
As a reminder please take the time to VOTE TODAY for those you feel will faithfully serve you, I, our families and God in this manner.
Water Chlorine Up?
Neighbors,
Are you all also noticing more of a chlorine smell in our water? Especially in the shower? This can be typical due to adjustments made by Global in our disinfection of the water. Just curious if anyone else is noticing this or if it is just our noses!
Are you all also noticing more of a chlorine smell in our water? Especially in the shower? This can be typical due to adjustments made by Global in our disinfection of the water. Just curious if anyone else is noticing this or if it is just our noses!
Monday, October 25, 2010
Nabbing a Fugitive - Our Blockwatch In Action!
Hello Neighbors:
Just wanted to pass on our experience on Sunday AM where the keen eyes and ears of our neighborhood did their job in protecting our blocks within RM.
I got a knock at my door about 8 to 810 am. A young man...16 at the most was panting, bent over in catching his breath and very sketchy. He said he was being chased by several people and needed to come inside to hide. I asked him to leave my property since I did not want a fight in my driveway. He said no and crouched down behind my cars to hide himself from being seen by the road. I told him maybe we needed to get him some help from the police. I went inside to dress and look around from the 2nd story. I did not see anyone coming down the street or looking for anyone. I asked my wife to call 911 as I went back outside.
The young man asked again to come inside. I said no. I asked why he was being threatened. He told me some lady had her kids after him. I told him to go and hang out by the pier where people were fishing and leave my driveway. He would not and kept hiding around my cars...again walking towards the front door and saying he needed to go inside. I went back inside to look around from the back yard to see what may be coming down the street.
I stayed inside while he was skittishly walking around our driveway and dirt lot just next door. Within about 5 minutes a Maricopa PD car pulled up to my driveway. He talked to the young man and asked him to get into the car. I came out and asked what was happening. He took my contact info and explained that a person fitting this description was just reported jumping a fence a few blocks away...possibly robbing a house.
When I got to church I was met by a member that lives 3 streets behind us on Merced. He (or his neighbor) apparently heard something coming from a home that is typically a winter visitor home. Knowing this they kept watch and saw someone jump a fence. The police were called related to an attempted robbery. The suspect showed up at my home wanting to hide. Not believing his "story" I did not help him...but hope that he will get the help he needs to change his ways. I felt that I had missed a "Dog" moment (referring to Dog the Bounty Hunter, TV Show) to talk to the teen and help him realize this was not a good path in life. My prayers are with him to choose to change.
Please keep an eye out for those homes around us. We all need your help. Thanks for being great neighbors...and thanks Maricopa PD for responding quickly.
Just wanted to pass on our experience on Sunday AM where the keen eyes and ears of our neighborhood did their job in protecting our blocks within RM.
I got a knock at my door about 8 to 810 am. A young man...16 at the most was panting, bent over in catching his breath and very sketchy. He said he was being chased by several people and needed to come inside to hide. I asked him to leave my property since I did not want a fight in my driveway. He said no and crouched down behind my cars to hide himself from being seen by the road. I told him maybe we needed to get him some help from the police. I went inside to dress and look around from the 2nd story. I did not see anyone coming down the street or looking for anyone. I asked my wife to call 911 as I went back outside.
The young man asked again to come inside. I said no. I asked why he was being threatened. He told me some lady had her kids after him. I told him to go and hang out by the pier where people were fishing and leave my driveway. He would not and kept hiding around my cars...again walking towards the front door and saying he needed to go inside. I went back inside to look around from the back yard to see what may be coming down the street.
I stayed inside while he was skittishly walking around our driveway and dirt lot just next door. Within about 5 minutes a Maricopa PD car pulled up to my driveway. He talked to the young man and asked him to get into the car. I came out and asked what was happening. He took my contact info and explained that a person fitting this description was just reported jumping a fence a few blocks away...possibly robbing a house.
When I got to church I was met by a member that lives 3 streets behind us on Merced. He (or his neighbor) apparently heard something coming from a home that is typically a winter visitor home. Knowing this they kept watch and saw someone jump a fence. The police were called related to an attempted robbery. The suspect showed up at my home wanting to hide. Not believing his "story" I did not help him...but hope that he will get the help he needs to change his ways. I felt that I had missed a "Dog" moment (referring to Dog the Bounty Hunter, TV Show) to talk to the teen and help him realize this was not a good path in life. My prayers are with him to choose to change.
Please keep an eye out for those homes around us. We all need your help. Thanks for being great neighbors...and thanks Maricopa PD for responding quickly.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Global Water bill went up? Not here at EWL...our bill went down.
New Global Water utility bills are out and I am hearing around town a buzz of frustration. Did your water bill go up? Most residents and businesses in Maricopa will say yes.
Here at EWL our bill went down even though we used more than 500 gallons than last month. How can this be? We have put into place some easy to implement countermeasures to keep our bill stable. We are also working to reduce our landscape water needs further.
Feel free to contact us if we can assist you in your water audit.
Here at EWL our bill went down even though we used more than 500 gallons than last month. How can this be? We have put into place some easy to implement countermeasures to keep our bill stable. We are also working to reduce our landscape water needs further.
Feel free to contact us if we can assist you in your water audit.
Dirt Complaint - Update
Neighbors,
As discussed previously ADEQ and Pinal County have contacted me regarding my complaint for the dirt, dust and stormwater erosion issues that we have seen throughout the subdivision.
Pinal County:
I was told that they have little jurisdiction on the issue. My previous complaint to them earlier this year (Jan 2010) was investigated and "forwarded" to ADEQ. I was never contated by ADEQ as a follow up to the complaint nor by Pinal County till I filed this most recent complaint.
ADEQ:
I was visited on Tuesday this week by the inspector for ADEQ. He took photos throughout the subdivision and asked for a copy of my area photos. He stated:
The bad news is that he has had some issues with determining which areas are owned by whom. Since most or all of our subdivision is now bank owned it is harder to enforce the violations.
My complaints and frustration basically are that we as homeowners are suffering due to the negligence of our dirt lot "neighbors". Near my home we have constant post storm dirt in our street, washing into our lot, blowing into our lot, getting on our cars, etc. Throughout the subdivision there has been considerable damage that will now have to be fixed...and most likely by the HOA which is our dollars being spent to fix issues from these dirt lot owners.
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. I will keep you updated upon what I find and hear.
As discussed previously ADEQ and Pinal County have contacted me regarding my complaint for the dirt, dust and stormwater erosion issues that we have seen throughout the subdivision.
Pinal County:
I was told that they have little jurisdiction on the issue. My previous complaint to them earlier this year (Jan 2010) was investigated and "forwarded" to ADEQ. I was never contated by ADEQ as a follow up to the complaint nor by Pinal County till I filed this most recent complaint.
ADEQ:
I was visited on Tuesday this week by the inspector for ADEQ. He took photos throughout the subdivision and asked for a copy of my area photos. He stated:
- That there are numerous violations clearly visible throughout our subdivision.
- That the conditions of the grading permit (and thus SWPPP plan to address runoff of stormwater from a "disturbed" site) state:
- The company owning the property must stabilize the site. This is basically a "glue" used to create tackiness in the soil to keep it from blowing around or running off.
- The company owning the property must maintain the stormwater controls or BMP's (silt fences, waddles, etc.). They should have a log where they inspect the properties every 2 weeks to verify the BMP's are in proper working order and make repairs as necessary.
- The company owning the property must visit the site within 24 hours of a storm event (rain that totals 0.1-in or 0.2-in...forgot which) to inspect the stormwater BMP's and clean up any issues and make repairs.
The bad news is that he has had some issues with determining which areas are owned by whom. Since most or all of our subdivision is now bank owned it is harder to enforce the violations.
My complaints and frustration basically are that we as homeowners are suffering due to the negligence of our dirt lot "neighbors". Near my home we have constant post storm dirt in our street, washing into our lot, blowing into our lot, getting on our cars, etc. Throughout the subdivision there has been considerable damage that will now have to be fixed...and most likely by the HOA which is our dollars being spent to fix issues from these dirt lot owners.
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. I will keep you updated upon what I find and hear.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Dirt Complaint Follow-Up
I was contacted by ADEQ today. Our subdivision has been assigned to a state inspector. More updates will be provided when I hear more.
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Monday, October 11, 2010
Where to File Your Dirt Complaints
Rancho Mirage neighbors,
As a reminder from back in Aug I have reposted the following info. If you are interested in filing complaints regarding the dirt runoff issues that we keep experiencing every time it rains please contact the following agencies...
Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) - Air Quality:
http://www.azdeq.gov/environ/air/
ADEQ Online Complaint Form:
http://www.azdeq.gov/function/compliance/complaint.html
Pinal County - Air Quality
http://pinalcountyaz.gov/DEPARTMENTS/AIRQUALITY/Pages/Home.aspx
Great discussion (with pictures) of what is PM2.5 and PM10 and how it effects our health.
http://pinalcountyaz.gov/Departments/AirQuality/Dust/Pages/Dust.aspx
Pinal County Online Complaint Form:
http://pinalcountyaz.gov/Departments/AirQuality/Pages/FileaComplaint.aspx
Please feel free to contact these governmental agencies to assist in the cleanup within our development. If you have not had a chance please read previous posts regarding stormwater. The post is to further clarify the issues discussed and give each of you the opportunity to be "heard". Most especially if more than 1 or 2 homeowners are contacting these agencies then maybe they will pressure the developers / landowners in our community to ensure they keep our vacant lots stabilized correctly. Then if a "mess" is made post storm they will be here quickly to clean it up.
Feel free to contact me directly with any questions.
Take care,
Emery
As a reminder from back in Aug I have reposted the following info. If you are interested in filing complaints regarding the dirt runoff issues that we keep experiencing every time it rains please contact the following agencies...
Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) - Air Quality:
http://www.azdeq.gov/environ/air/
ADEQ Online Complaint Form:
http://www.azdeq.gov/function/compliance/complaint.html
Pinal County - Air Quality
http://pinalcountyaz.gov/DEPARTMENTS/AIRQUALITY/Pages/Home.aspx
Great discussion (with pictures) of what is PM2.5 and PM10 and how it effects our health.
http://pinalcountyaz.gov/Departments/AirQuality/Dust/Pages/Dust.aspx
Pinal County Online Complaint Form:
http://pinalcountyaz.gov/Departments/AirQuality/Pages/FileaComplaint.aspx
Please feel free to contact these governmental agencies to assist in the cleanup within our development. If you have not had a chance please read previous posts regarding stormwater. The post is to further clarify the issues discussed and give each of you the opportunity to be "heard". Most especially if more than 1 or 2 homeowners are contacting these agencies then maybe they will pressure the developers / landowners in our community to ensure they keep our vacant lots stabilized correctly. Then if a "mess" is made post storm they will be here quickly to clean it up.
Feel free to contact me directly with any questions.
Take care,
Emery
Thursday, September 2, 2010
BioFuel Plant to come to Maricopa
At the City Council meeting Tuesday evening there was an exciting announcement.
A company called "Pinal Power" is going to build a bio-fuel plant in Maricopa. The plant will be located on the Maricopa - Casa Grande highway next to the current ethanol plant. This plant is to create 30 megawatts of baseload power (about the usage of 35k homes) by burning green waste that typically just gets thrown away. They expect to divert 30% of the landscape and crop waste from landfills in the Phoenix and Tucson area.
This is great news for our environment...not to mention the approximately 15 million in annual tax revenue that will go to our City. No word on if this means future rate relief for our community...however I would expect this could be such if ED3 can buy less from APS. The plant will be located next to a ED3 substation so ED3 can provide the distrubition network for the new electricity.
Great news for our City. More info at the City website to include their powerpoint presentation from the City Council meeting:
Also their website is:
(FYI...Their website does not seem to be up and running quite yet.)
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Update on Global Water Rate Case.
Great news. I am currently at the Maricopa City Council meeting. Mayor Smith gave his report on the GW rate case. He reported that the ACC approved a GW reclaimed water rate increase from $0.33/1000-gal to $0.50/1000-gal instead of the $2.00/1000-gal requested by GW. that is a relief for our budgets. Many other items are also in the decision. Look for us to update when available from the ACC.
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ACC Decision on Global Water Rates - Finalized
Good afternoon Maricopians. I just got a call from Lupe at the ACC. She stated that the case passed yesterday with several "modifications" of the administrative law judge's order. She stated that once the decision is written up and signed by all commissioners then the decision will be available on edocket (see my previous post on how to access). She was unable to give me any specifics.
I will be at tonight's City Council meeting and will ask around and provide any updates I get.
Take care,
Emery
I will be at tonight's City Council meeting and will ask around and provide any updates I get.
Take care,
Emery
Global Water Rate Increase
As you should know Global Water has requested a rate increase for their water rates, sewer rates and reclaimed water rates. Check our local news sites for more info and background on the story. Yesterday was a meeting at the ACC (Arizona Corp Commission) to discuss the rate increase. This was a deferred special meeting after their monthly meeting on 24 Aug 2010. To keep yourself up to date of the progress of this story follow these links.
ACC edocket:
https://edocket.azcc.gov/
You will see a small "search by number" box in the upper right corner. To obtain documentation filed in the case type in W-20446a-09-0080. This will give you access to all filings from angry homeowner emails to responses to questions by Global Water. To date no "decisions" have been listed. You may subscribe to a RSS feed to get updates when new documents are posted.
I have also called the ACC this am and the admin person answering the phone could give me no update on yesterdays meeting. She directed me to a phone (not telling me whose) to be greeted by a general answering machine mailbox. I have also emailed one of the persons listed in the case as a "contact" and have yet to hear any response.
Will keep you updated when I find out more info.
Now that I have provided you the facts...here is my opinion:
I have assisted small utilities in rate analysis projects. In a nutshell rates are typically (at municipalities, Districts and not for profit utilities) a function of customer payments to cover expenses, operating costs and reserve accounts. In the case of Global Water they also a private company and thus are in business to turn a profit. Thus their rates are higher than typical utilities in the State.
To view rate study by AZWIFA (governmental funding authority where systems obtain loans for system infrastructure) documenting rates throughout the state see:
http://www.azwifa.gov/?pageid=publications
I think the major point that has been missed here by our neighbors over at GW is that they need us just as much as we need their water...since we are the "disposal" mechanism for their wastewater treatment system effluent. In college we learned that when you typically design (as a engineer) a wastewater treatment plant it goes in the lowest elevation of the town near the river where you dispose of the water. You treat the water cleaner than the river / creek / stream and everyone is happy. Here out in the west it is quite a bit different. We (engineers) are not able to just dump water into a dry wash. This creates a "non-native" habitat that is not going to be approved by AZDEQ (some have been allowed...mostly due to grandfathering...but in the last number of years very few and only for special cases). Thus we make sure that there is a balance of green space within a development to "dispose" of the treated wastewater (reclaimed water) by irrigation of the green scape.
As I have previously posted when talking with AAM there is a simple solution to this rate case:
HAVE THE WHOLE TOWN PARTICIPATE IN A "WATER" FLU.
Let Global know who their "customer" is and that we will not stand for these extreme increases. Global where then will you put your effluent if we refuse to take it??? I know you have a NPDES permit but expect that this is not for consistent use.
I have on NUMEROUS occasions tried to rally our HOA to work to this end. They however have refused to discuss it with me...nor do anything in our perspective about this.
Feel free to contact me for more info. Hope this has helped you review the info and make your own decision. Also we would be happy to help your home, business or HOA by performing a water audit of your property.
Food for thought: When moving into our home we made some easy adjustments to our water system that showned a ROI (return of investment) in several months. These changes cut our water bills significantly. I am also working on some simple home greywater modifications to further lower our home water use. Look for us to market this as a new business offering here soon in our City.
ACC edocket:
https://edocket.azcc.gov/
You will see a small "search by number" box in the upper right corner. To obtain documentation filed in the case type in W-20446a-09-0080. This will give you access to all filings from angry homeowner emails to responses to questions by Global Water. To date no "decisions" have been listed. You may subscribe to a RSS feed to get updates when new documents are posted.
I have also called the ACC this am and the admin person answering the phone could give me no update on yesterdays meeting. She directed me to a phone (not telling me whose) to be greeted by a general answering machine mailbox. I have also emailed one of the persons listed in the case as a "contact" and have yet to hear any response.
Will keep you updated when I find out more info.
Now that I have provided you the facts...here is my opinion:
I have assisted small utilities in rate analysis projects. In a nutshell rates are typically (at municipalities, Districts and not for profit utilities) a function of customer payments to cover expenses, operating costs and reserve accounts. In the case of Global Water they also a private company and thus are in business to turn a profit. Thus their rates are higher than typical utilities in the State.
To view rate study by AZWIFA (governmental funding authority where systems obtain loans for system infrastructure) documenting rates throughout the state see:
http://www.azwifa.gov/?pageid=publications
I think the major point that has been missed here by our neighbors over at GW is that they need us just as much as we need their water...since we are the "disposal" mechanism for their wastewater treatment system effluent. In college we learned that when you typically design (as a engineer) a wastewater treatment plant it goes in the lowest elevation of the town near the river where you dispose of the water. You treat the water cleaner than the river / creek / stream and everyone is happy. Here out in the west it is quite a bit different. We (engineers) are not able to just dump water into a dry wash. This creates a "non-native" habitat that is not going to be approved by AZDEQ (some have been allowed...mostly due to grandfathering...but in the last number of years very few and only for special cases). Thus we make sure that there is a balance of green space within a development to "dispose" of the treated wastewater (reclaimed water) by irrigation of the green scape.
As I have previously posted when talking with AAM there is a simple solution to this rate case:
HAVE THE WHOLE TOWN PARTICIPATE IN A "WATER" FLU.
Let Global know who their "customer" is and that we will not stand for these extreme increases. Global where then will you put your effluent if we refuse to take it??? I know you have a NPDES permit but expect that this is not for consistent use.
I have on NUMEROUS occasions tried to rally our HOA to work to this end. They however have refused to discuss it with me...nor do anything in our perspective about this.
Feel free to contact me for more info. Hope this has helped you review the info and make your own decision. Also we would be happy to help your home, business or HOA by performing a water audit of your property.
Food for thought: When moving into our home we made some easy adjustments to our water system that showned a ROI (return of investment) in several months. These changes cut our water bills significantly. I am also working on some simple home greywater modifications to further lower our home water use. Look for us to market this as a new business offering here soon in our City.
Where to File Your Dirt Complaints
Rancho Mirage neighbors,
If you are interested in filing complaints regarding the dirt runoff issues that I discussed yesterday please contact the following:
Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) - Air Quality:
http://www.azdeq.gov/environ/air/
ADEQ Online Complaint Form:
http://www.azdeq.gov/function/compliance/complaint.html
Pinal County - Air Quality
http://pinalcountyaz.gov/DEPARTMENTS/AIRQUALITY/Pages/Home.aspx
Great discussion (with pictures) of what is PM2.5 and PM10 and how it effects our health.
http://pinalcountyaz.gov/Departments/AirQuality/Dust/Pages/Dust.aspx
Pinal County Online Complaint Form:
http://pinalcountyaz.gov/Departments/AirQuality/Pages/FileaComplaint.aspx
Please feel free to contact these governmental agencies to assist in the cleanup within our development. If you have not had a chance please read previous posts regarding stormwater. The post is to further clarify the issues discussed and give each of you the opportunity to be "heard". Most especially if more than 1 or 2 homeowners are contacting these agencies then maybe they will pressure the developers / landowners in our community to ensure they keep our vacant lots stabilized correctly. Then if a "mess" is made post storm they will be here quickly to clean it up.
Feel free to contact me directly with any questions.
Take care,
Emery
P.S. I am on the phone with the ACC trying to find out what is going on with the Global Water Rate Case hearing from yesterday. More posts to come regarding this topic.
If you are interested in filing complaints regarding the dirt runoff issues that I discussed yesterday please contact the following:
Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) - Air Quality:
http://www.azdeq.gov/environ/air/
ADEQ Online Complaint Form:
http://www.azdeq.gov/function/compliance/complaint.html
Pinal County - Air Quality
http://pinalcountyaz.gov/DEPARTMENTS/AIRQUALITY/Pages/Home.aspx
Great discussion (with pictures) of what is PM2.5 and PM10 and how it effects our health.
http://pinalcountyaz.gov/Departments/AirQuality/Dust/Pages/Dust.aspx
Pinal County Online Complaint Form:
http://pinalcountyaz.gov/Departments/AirQuality/Pages/FileaComplaint.aspx
Please feel free to contact these governmental agencies to assist in the cleanup within our development. If you have not had a chance please read previous posts regarding stormwater. The post is to further clarify the issues discussed and give each of you the opportunity to be "heard". Most especially if more than 1 or 2 homeowners are contacting these agencies then maybe they will pressure the developers / landowners in our community to ensure they keep our vacant lots stabilized correctly. Then if a "mess" is made post storm they will be here quickly to clean it up.
Feel free to contact me directly with any questions.
Take care,
Emery
P.S. I am on the phone with the ACC trying to find out what is going on with the Global Water Rate Case hearing from yesterday. More posts to come regarding this topic.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Storm Mess due to SWPPP plan failures
As most of you know we had a significant monsoon event on Saturday evening. Let me bore you with some technical background related to my concerns.
(Photo along Merced St just E of RM Blvd)
Although the storm seemed very significant let me educate you with some stormwater basics. A "design storm" is a storm where (in this area) 2.42 inches of water falls within 1 hour. Thus the stormwater / drainage systems within our subdivison are designed to this standard. As such to see a storm that drops about 0.3-0.6-inches over 1 hour (unsure of exact number here in our subdivision but this was what I was seeing reported in the area) create such major stormwater runoff issues (i.e. erosion damage) is concerning to me and in my professional opinion is due to the lack of the builders in maintaining the proper "during construction" stormwater BMP's (best management practices). See http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater/swppp.cfm for more info. In short SWPPP plans are what the contractor is required to prepare to show the US EPA and Pinal County how they will protect the site during construction when it rains...i.e. how do you keep a land that is partially constructed upon (scarred from grading) from allowing water to wash off the site and move sediment around as erodes the construction property.
I have since moving into Rancho Mirage (almost 2 years ago) voiced comments and concerns because I see the lack of compliance by builders to the typical EPA Stormwater and Pinal County Dust Control regulations. Some months ago I attended a meeting in Pinal County were a representative of EPA Region 9 discussed the new "non-attainment" status of our area due to the continual violations of air quality regulations...also in attendance was the Director of Pinal County Air Quality. As such I quickly sent pictures (taken of the post-Jan storms) and concerns to these speakers related to non-compliance within our subdivision of SWPPP plans...and their contributing to the Air Quality issues. Fairly quickly a gentleman from the County was assigned and asked me questions by email. Following his investigation he provided me with an email update of his findings. I have yet to date heard back from AZDEQ.
I have attached the email feed of the discussion between myself and the Pinal County investigator. See below:
Rancho Mirage - Air Quality Complaint
My concerns / issues with what I am seeing is that due to the erosion of sediments:
Significant amount of "offsite storm water" had to enter our basin to erode several tons of sediment into our basin. I could see irrigation pipes, drip emitter lines, irrigation boxes all exposed due to the several locations of erosion in this 1 basin on the E side of RM Blvd.
See all the sediment being left. Looks like chocolate soup. The first photo at the top of the post is along Merced is where the stormwater enters the basin along Merced...carrying a significant amount of sediment from bare undeveloped lots into the basins.
Photo above is few hundred feet south from previous photo
Photo above is few hundred feet south from previous photo with RM Blvd in the foreground.
Photo above is same as previous except closer up to see the major sediment erosion.
Photo above is few hundred feet further south of previous picture.
Photo above is few hundred feet further south of previous picture.
Photo above is of the ball fields. There was significant tree damage near the park in the background.
Stormwater carried a lot of sediment into the streets...which then goes into the basins.
Photo above shows stormwater pushing sediment OVER the stormwater control bmp (waddle).
Picture above shows stormwater eroded under the silt fence eroding a signifigant amount of sediment on the street, etc.
Picture above is similar to the previous picture. Across the street is the scupper to the soccer field.
Stormwater BMP (waddle) failed and shows why these controls should be used "in conjunction" with each other and not individually.
Photo above is similar to previous...different view.
Scupper is to the soccer field and suffered severe "undermining" erosion from what appears to be water running through silt fence and along edge of scupper.
Scupper showing why stormwater controls are important. Half worked...Half failed. You can see the sediment is in the failed left side washing into the basin area but being held back in the un-failed area on the right side.
Sediment erosion from unprotected lots
Sediment erosion from unprotected lots
Sediment erosion from unprotected lots
Sediment erosion from unprotected lots
Sediment erosion from unprotected lots
Sediment erosion from unprotected lots
Above photo shows sediment erosion and failed silt fence. Sediment directly enters drainage system as shown.
NOW...lets see some "not as bad" photos. I was impressed by the controls placed in the Shea home area on the W side of RM blvd near Honeycutt. You can see this yourself along Olivo and W Vera Cruz. As you will see below there is much less sediment in the roadway which means they are doing something right here. Although there are several locations that the controls need repair. After a long hot summer the silt fence material is becoming very brittle and breaking easy. I do like however the better way the silt fence is anchored using fence posts every 8-12-ft to brace the fence from our high winds.
Above photo shows considerably less "runoff" of sediment in street.
Above photo shows little "runoff" of sediment in street.
Scupper at corner of Olivio and Pratt that empties into "small" lake has good BMP backup when dirt, trash, etc. tries to enter lake.
Reason that I see the better working BMP. The builder actually left a berm to "enclose" the flat part of the graded future home site. This allows 6-8-in of water to "pond" instead of directly running off the site. Thus silt fence only has to handle flow of water from the approximately 20-ft sloped portion of the lot. Water ponding on site is seen in the photo background.
(Photo along Merced St just E of RM Blvd)Although the storm seemed very significant let me educate you with some stormwater basics. A "design storm" is a storm where (in this area) 2.42 inches of water falls within 1 hour. Thus the stormwater / drainage systems within our subdivison are designed to this standard. As such to see a storm that drops about 0.3-0.6-inches over 1 hour (unsure of exact number here in our subdivision but this was what I was seeing reported in the area) create such major stormwater runoff issues (i.e. erosion damage) is concerning to me and in my professional opinion is due to the lack of the builders in maintaining the proper "during construction" stormwater BMP's (best management practices). See http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater/swppp.cfm for more info. In short SWPPP plans are what the contractor is required to prepare to show the US EPA and Pinal County how they will protect the site during construction when it rains...i.e. how do you keep a land that is partially constructed upon (scarred from grading) from allowing water to wash off the site and move sediment around as erodes the construction property.
I have since moving into Rancho Mirage (almost 2 years ago) voiced comments and concerns because I see the lack of compliance by builders to the typical EPA Stormwater and Pinal County Dust Control regulations. Some months ago I attended a meeting in Pinal County were a representative of EPA Region 9 discussed the new "non-attainment" status of our area due to the continual violations of air quality regulations...also in attendance was the Director of Pinal County Air Quality. As such I quickly sent pictures (taken of the post-Jan storms) and concerns to these speakers related to non-compliance within our subdivision of SWPPP plans...and their contributing to the Air Quality issues. Fairly quickly a gentleman from the County was assigned and asked me questions by email. Following his investigation he provided me with an email update of his findings. I have yet to date heard back from AZDEQ.
I have attached the email feed of the discussion between myself and the Pinal County investigator. See below:
Rancho Mirage - Air Quality Complaint
My concerns / issues with what I am seeing is that due to the erosion of sediments:
- Dirt is in roadways that becomes air entrained and creates air quality issues. This dirt will cause respiratory issues due to high PM2.5 and PM10 violations that are notorious in Maricopa.
- Dirt is being washed and blown into my (and most of our) property and creates more landscape work for myself (i.e. homeowners) and thus costs.
- Dirt is being washed into the lake that can damage pumps and aerators.
- Dirt is being washed into drywells in stormwater retention basins. This will quickly clog the drywells and basins and create long term increases in costs (and potential for damage to our homes) that will be shoulded upon us as homeowners. Not to mention if a true design storm comes and the drywells will not operate efficiently / effectively our homes (properties) could become subject to localized flooding issues.
- Dirt is eroding basins, scuppers, irrigation boxes and thus creates costs due to the need for repair and cleaning of our site.
- Dirt in the roadways is just plain ugly and annoying.
Significant amount of "offsite storm water" had to enter our basin to erode several tons of sediment into our basin. I could see irrigation pipes, drip emitter lines, irrigation boxes all exposed due to the several locations of erosion in this 1 basin on the E side of RM Blvd.
See all the sediment being left. Looks like chocolate soup. The first photo at the top of the post is along Merced is where the stormwater enters the basin along Merced...carrying a significant amount of sediment from bare undeveloped lots into the basins.
Photo above is few hundred feet south from previous photo
Photo above is few hundred feet south from previous photo with RM Blvd in the foreground.
Photo above is same as previous except closer up to see the major sediment erosion.
Photo above is few hundred feet further south of previous picture.
Photo above is few hundred feet further south of previous picture.
Photo above is of the ball fields. There was significant tree damage near the park in the background.
Stormwater carried a lot of sediment into the streets...which then goes into the basins.
Photo above shows stormwater pushing sediment OVER the stormwater control bmp (waddle).
Picture above shows stormwater eroded under the silt fence eroding a signifigant amount of sediment on the street, etc.
Picture above is similar to the previous picture. Across the street is the scupper to the soccer field.
Stormwater BMP (waddle) failed and shows why these controls should be used "in conjunction" with each other and not individually.
Photo above is similar to previous...different view.
Scupper is to the soccer field and suffered severe "undermining" erosion from what appears to be water running through silt fence and along edge of scupper.
Scupper showing why stormwater controls are important. Half worked...Half failed. You can see the sediment is in the failed left side washing into the basin area but being held back in the un-failed area on the right side.
Sediment erosion from unprotected lots
Sediment erosion from unprotected lots
Sediment erosion from unprotected lots
Sediment erosion from unprotected lots
Sediment erosion from unprotected lots
Sediment erosion from unprotected lots
Above photo shows sediment erosion and failed silt fence. Sediment directly enters drainage system as shown.NOW...lets see some "not as bad" photos. I was impressed by the controls placed in the Shea home area on the W side of RM blvd near Honeycutt. You can see this yourself along Olivo and W Vera Cruz. As you will see below there is much less sediment in the roadway which means they are doing something right here. Although there are several locations that the controls need repair. After a long hot summer the silt fence material is becoming very brittle and breaking easy. I do like however the better way the silt fence is anchored using fence posts every 8-12-ft to brace the fence from our high winds.
Above photo shows considerably less "runoff" of sediment in street.
Above photo shows little "runoff" of sediment in street.
Scupper at corner of Olivio and Pratt that empties into "small" lake has good BMP backup when dirt, trash, etc. tries to enter lake.
Reason that I see the better working BMP. The builder actually left a berm to "enclose" the flat part of the graded future home site. This allows 6-8-in of water to "pond" instead of directly running off the site. Thus silt fence only has to handle flow of water from the approximately 20-ft sloped portion of the lot. Water ponding on site is seen in the photo background.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
4 Peaks Grass Cutting - Please Stop the SCALPING!
The attached document is the field report that I prepared to document my inspection after 4 Peaks cut the grass in our development. It is my professional opinion that the issues that we keep seeing in our development related to the grass is because the landscapers cut it too short. This creates a uncomfortable surface for our children as well as many issues related to runoff...stormwater erosion...overwatering to keep alive...etc. See below for the report:
10 0825 Site Visit Report
This document was provided to David Wisnowsky of AAM as well as the Shea Representative (Mr. David Garcia) and to date I have yet to hear any response.
10 0825 Site Visit Report
This document was provided to David Wisnowsky of AAM as well as the Shea Representative (Mr. David Garcia) and to date I have yet to hear any response.
HOA Meeting...the Day After.
First thing Wednesday AM I got an email from Dave:
Good morning Emery,
I was hoping to talk with you at the meeting either before or after, but didn’t get the chance. I have attached you list of questions along with answers. You list was too long to present at the meeting with the time constraints we were under. Please let me know if you have any questions regarding the answers and I’ll do my best to clarify where needed.
Best regards,
Dave Wisnosky
Community Manager
AAM, LLC
(602) 288-2609 (direct line)
(480) 821-2334 (direct fax)
(602) 957-9191 (main line)
www.AAMAZ.com
“Setting the Standard of Excellence for 20 Years”
Below is the response to my letter of items to be discussed at the HOA meeting:
HOA Meeting Question Response by AAM
I was surprised to find a list of my questions answered with short brief comments...I felt that it was mostly saying "this is not our problem" or "this is not a problem". Below is my response to his email:
David,
I am available anytime you are in the neighborhood. A courtesy call the day or 2 before to set an appointment would be best instead of stopping unannounced since I do travel to job sites on random occasions.
I did not feel that yesterday's meeting was the right place to discuss my concerns. The room provided was very uncomfortable as well as you and most of your staff (representatives) were very defensive, abrasive and in some ways just spreading non-factual backed "opinions" as reasons for the mis-management within our community (except for the times when you quoted my information). As a professional that is in the field of development I can see through the propaganda of "mis-information" spread at last nights meeting and was not about to reduce myself to arguing with a company that has little concern for the homeowner...as long as our dues are being paid. Since the role of a builder managed HOA (whose customer is the developer / builder...not homeowner) it is your role to "protect" and "serve" builders to be immune from the frustrations of homeowners in the name of cost savings, reputation protection and headache management.
I find it sad that you answer to our concerns of water management and GW fee increase is to do nothing till we see what GW will do. Who will this benefit? Definitely GW...Definitely not us (homeowners). Why are you willing to perform your business and our community in "crisis management" mode? How effective could we be (if you were really concerned about the cost increases of water) if we decided to team with all HOA / Communities across Maricopa and have a 1 week, no water day. What message would be sent to GW if we as a city could team together and cut our water use by 50 % for the coming month. What would we say to GW if we decided to not water most common areas and allow it to go dormant now before winter overseeding in Oct? What would GW see in their sales if we decided to only water trees, bushes and winter grass and forget having summer grass except for the entry way and thus cut our water bill significantly since it is too hot (and 4Peaks cannot cut it correctly to allow it to grow right) to enjoy right now anyway.
What would GW do if a majority of the HOA / Communities came together and had a "water flu". Would they not realize that we are their customers and they cannot charge a 6x increase in water (by the way why would a 6x increase [$0.33 to $2] in water fees create a annual budget increase of 7x [$60k to $420] instead of $60k x 6 = $364k???). As a professional in the field of water / wastewater treatment I know that we are a necessary "customer" of GW and they need us for disposal of their wastewater treatment effluent. Thus we have rights and more importantly we have power to say no we will not accept such a high rate / cost for obtaining your water.
Not to mention why have we not worked to secure additional irrigation rights? Wouldn't it be beneficial to be the "first in line" to talk with Maricopa-Stanfield irrigation District? They have wells right across the street from our lake that could be rehabbed and used to provide water. There are wells currently on the Rancho Mirage property that are available, with water from the previous ag activities here. Don't you think this would be best to do before "everyone else" wants water too since they played the "wait and see" game on the GW rates.
As I previously discussed it is this type of what I call "mis-management" is what proves to me that AAM HOA is not here to serve us the homeowners...only the builder and other "big guys" such as Global, Orbitel, etc. by being their "bean counters" and "enforcement officers" of us "little guys".
I have attached my field observation report of your landscapers grass cutting today. As discussed last night it is obvious that the grass is being cut too short. This enhances evaporation, creates more need for water to keep the grass thriving, encourages run-off from sloped areas by decreasing the runoff coefficient of the ground...which then requires more watering creating more runoff, and the grass does not create a mulch bed or root zone which further decreases water retention, increases evaporation, and increases runoff, etc... It is very easy to observe. I would suggest that you come with me some day after mowing (without their knowledge) such as Wednesday about 8-9am near my home / pier area.
An additional concern that I have is the AAM mis-representation of the quality of reclaimed water. For this water to be used in lawn irrigation it meets ADEQ Class A standards for reclaimed water use. Within my profession we are working hard to help the public understand that this is a viable and safe alternative to using drinking water for irrigation, car washing, animal water, etc. Question...do you play golf? Did you know that most all golf courses in AZ are watered with recalimed water. Do you see the same issues as cited today on my field report on the golf courses you see? Due to the status of Phoenix, Tucson, Prescott, etc AMA's (active management areas) establised due to our water shortages and high use in specific areas potable water for golf course irrigation. The technology used to clean the water to Class A standards is top of the line and used effectively and efficiently to remove the "sewage" from the water. Yes there is a bit of extra nitrogen that creates some algae growth in the ponds but that is another issue that is related to the low circulation of the lake and thus mis-management of the lake resource to maintain low cost energy bills. To have you and your staff comment that they refuse to let their dog drink the reclaimed water is nothing short of a uneducated scare tactic. This is not a professional nor technical opinion or correct comment that should be uttered in a professional meeting. If anything the water quality poor nature is due to 2 things. 1. The poor quality of the initial groundwater used in our homes that is high in TDS (i.e. salts). and 2. The crap that homeowners flush down the toilet / sewer as well as the salt from softeners and RO reject water that concentrates these already present salts. If there was a need (i.e. water shortage) I would and could make a quick sand filter from some PVC pipe, play sand and small gravel to quickly filter the water to remove the algae and add a few drops of bleach to chlorinate (as our drinking water systems already do) to remove any fecal bacteria from the wildlife and use the water for drinking / cooking use.
I appreciate you sending me the responses to my questions. I will review your responses more closely but most of them seem to be quickly put together poor reasons / excuses from my first read through.
It is pretty frustrating that we are still asking for resolutions to the same issues now for 2 annual meetings in a row. If you need we can provide a better (and much cooler) meeting location for future annual meetings as well as refreshments.
If I have any questions I will follow up.
Feel free (as I stated several times) to contact me directly for further discussion.
Thanks,
Emery
--
Engineered With Layton, P.L.C.
Value Engineering through Reasonable Fee's, Attention to Detail and Honest Hard Work.
N. Emery Layton, P.E.
480.244.3355
www.engineeredwithlayton.com
The field report from the grass cutting discussed in the above email will be in my next post.
Good morning Emery,
I was hoping to talk with you at the meeting either before or after, but didn’t get the chance. I have attached you list of questions along with answers. You list was too long to present at the meeting with the time constraints we were under. Please let me know if you have any questions regarding the answers and I’ll do my best to clarify where needed.
Best regards,
Dave Wisnosky
Community Manager
AAM, LLC
(602) 288-2609 (direct line)
(480) 821-2334 (direct fax)
(602) 957-9191 (main line)
www.AAMAZ.com
“Setting the Standard of Excellence for 20 Years”
Below is the response to my letter of items to be discussed at the HOA meeting:
HOA Meeting Question Response by AAM
I was surprised to find a list of my questions answered with short brief comments...I felt that it was mostly saying "this is not our problem" or "this is not a problem". Below is my response to his email:
David,
I am available anytime you are in the neighborhood. A courtesy call the day or 2 before to set an appointment would be best instead of stopping unannounced since I do travel to job sites on random occasions.
I did not feel that yesterday's meeting was the right place to discuss my concerns. The room provided was very uncomfortable as well as you and most of your staff (representatives) were very defensive, abrasive and in some ways just spreading non-factual backed "opinions" as reasons for the mis-management within our community (except for the times when you quoted my information). As a professional that is in the field of development I can see through the propaganda of "mis-information" spread at last nights meeting and was not about to reduce myself to arguing with a company that has little concern for the homeowner...as long as our dues are being paid. Since the role of a builder managed HOA (whose customer is the developer / builder...not homeowner) it is your role to "protect" and "serve" builders to be immune from the frustrations of homeowners in the name of cost savings, reputation protection and headache management.
I find it sad that you answer to our concerns of water management and GW fee increase is to do nothing till we see what GW will do. Who will this benefit? Definitely GW...Definitely not us (homeowners). Why are you willing to perform your business and our community in "crisis management" mode? How effective could we be (if you were really concerned about the cost increases of water) if we decided to team with all HOA / Communities across Maricopa and have a 1 week, no water day. What message would be sent to GW if we as a city could team together and cut our water use by 50 % for the coming month. What would we say to GW if we decided to not water most common areas and allow it to go dormant now before winter overseeding in Oct? What would GW see in their sales if we decided to only water trees, bushes and winter grass and forget having summer grass except for the entry way and thus cut our water bill significantly since it is too hot (and 4Peaks cannot cut it correctly to allow it to grow right) to enjoy right now anyway.
What would GW do if a majority of the HOA / Communities came together and had a "water flu". Would they not realize that we are their customers and they cannot charge a 6x increase in water (by the way why would a 6x increase [$0.33 to $2] in water fees create a annual budget increase of 7x [$60k to $420] instead of $60k x 6 = $364k???). As a professional in the field of water / wastewater treatment I know that we are a necessary "customer" of GW and they need us for disposal of their wastewater treatment effluent. Thus we have rights and more importantly we have power to say no we will not accept such a high rate / cost for obtaining your water.
Not to mention why have we not worked to secure additional irrigation rights? Wouldn't it be beneficial to be the "first in line" to talk with Maricopa-Stanfield irrigation District? They have wells right across the street from our lake that could be rehabbed and used to provide water. There are wells currently on the Rancho Mirage property that are available, with water from the previous ag activities here. Don't you think this would be best to do before "everyone else" wants water too since they played the "wait and see" game on the GW rates.
As I previously discussed it is this type of what I call "mis-management" is what proves to me that AAM HOA is not here to serve us the homeowners...only the builder and other "big guys" such as Global, Orbitel, etc. by being their "bean counters" and "enforcement officers" of us "little guys".
I have attached my field observation report of your landscapers grass cutting today. As discussed last night it is obvious that the grass is being cut too short. This enhances evaporation, creates more need for water to keep the grass thriving, encourages run-off from sloped areas by decreasing the runoff coefficient of the ground...which then requires more watering creating more runoff, and the grass does not create a mulch bed or root zone which further decreases water retention, increases evaporation, and increases runoff, etc... It is very easy to observe. I would suggest that you come with me some day after mowing (without their knowledge) such as Wednesday about 8-9am near my home / pier area.
An additional concern that I have is the AAM mis-representation of the quality of reclaimed water. For this water to be used in lawn irrigation it meets ADEQ Class A standards for reclaimed water use. Within my profession we are working hard to help the public understand that this is a viable and safe alternative to using drinking water for irrigation, car washing, animal water, etc. Question...do you play golf? Did you know that most all golf courses in AZ are watered with recalimed water. Do you see the same issues as cited today on my field report on the golf courses you see? Due to the status of Phoenix, Tucson, Prescott, etc AMA's (active management areas) establised due to our water shortages and high use in specific areas potable water for golf course irrigation. The technology used to clean the water to Class A standards is top of the line and used effectively and efficiently to remove the "sewage" from the water. Yes there is a bit of extra nitrogen that creates some algae growth in the ponds but that is another issue that is related to the low circulation of the lake and thus mis-management of the lake resource to maintain low cost energy bills. To have you and your staff comment that they refuse to let their dog drink the reclaimed water is nothing short of a uneducated scare tactic. This is not a professional nor technical opinion or correct comment that should be uttered in a professional meeting. If anything the water quality poor nature is due to 2 things. 1. The poor quality of the initial groundwater used in our homes that is high in TDS (i.e. salts). and 2. The crap that homeowners flush down the toilet / sewer as well as the salt from softeners and RO reject water that concentrates these already present salts. If there was a need (i.e. water shortage) I would and could make a quick sand filter from some PVC pipe, play sand and small gravel to quickly filter the water to remove the algae and add a few drops of bleach to chlorinate (as our drinking water systems already do) to remove any fecal bacteria from the wildlife and use the water for drinking / cooking use.
I appreciate you sending me the responses to my questions. I will review your responses more closely but most of them seem to be quickly put together poor reasons / excuses from my first read through.
It is pretty frustrating that we are still asking for resolutions to the same issues now for 2 annual meetings in a row. If you need we can provide a better (and much cooler) meeting location for future annual meetings as well as refreshments.
If I have any questions I will follow up.
Feel free (as I stated several times) to contact me directly for further discussion.
Thanks,
Emery
--
Engineered With Layton, P.L.C.
Value Engineering through Reasonable Fee's, Attention to Detail and Honest Hard Work.
N. Emery Layton, P.E.
480.244.3355
www.engineeredwithlayton.com
The field report from the grass cutting discussed in the above email will be in my next post.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
HOA Meeting Documents
We attended our annual meeting on Tuesday evening 24 Aug 2010 at the Global Water building. We endured the "sweatbox" with several of our community members. With almost 180 homes we were disappointed that so few of our neighbors showed up. I think there were about 40 persons were in attendance.
Good Points:
Hoa Meeting Handout
As you can see a couple of my comments, questions and concerns are discussed (most likely since others asked the same thing) however a majority of my questions were unanswered or discussed at the meeting.
When we were discussing water use / misuse I mentioned how scalping the grass creates issues with overwatering. He also told me that they do not scalp the grass and cut it 1/3 of the height every time. I will discuss more on this in a few minutes.
A bit later Mr. 4Peaks (owner...unknown name) mentioned that he would like us to provide a list of drippers without plants and other items that were being discussed (by the other homeowners)...suggesting that we send a list to Dave and he would obtain and work to resolve. I then commented that I sent Dave a list of my concerns and please contact him. He got visibly angry and animated and told me that he saw the list and my concerns were incorrect.
Good Points:
- Meeting Mr. Garcia of Shea Homes - thanks for making us feel heard.
- Updates by Maricopa building inspector - thanks for your work related to keeping our streets junk car clean, walls graffiti clean as well as the other volunteer work you are involved in within the community.
- Sweatbox - the room AC was inoperable.
- Defensiveness of AAM - we felt that in whole those running the meeting were very defensive and made "excuses" regarding our concerns... All in all we felt that we were just being "endured" instead of listened to.
- Non-professional behavior of AAM and their subcontractors - we were unimpressed by the angry and abrasive responses to simple questions especially by Mr. 4Peaks (name unknown)...and the incorrect information spread especially by Ms. AAM (name unknown).
- Budget items - we would appreciate being able to see the budget prior to the meeting...instead of being given 10 minutes to review then moving on. At some point we used to get this quarterly or semi-annually by mail.
Hoa Meeting Handout
As you can see a couple of my comments, questions and concerns are discussed (most likely since others asked the same thing) however a majority of my questions were unanswered or discussed at the meeting.
When we were discussing water use / misuse I mentioned how scalping the grass creates issues with overwatering. He also told me that they do not scalp the grass and cut it 1/3 of the height every time. I will discuss more on this in a few minutes.
A bit later Mr. 4Peaks (owner...unknown name) mentioned that he would like us to provide a list of drippers without plants and other items that were being discussed (by the other homeowners)...suggesting that we send a list to Dave and he would obtain and work to resolve. I then commented that I sent Dave a list of my concerns and please contact him. He got visibly angry and animated and told me that he saw the list and my concerns were incorrect.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Mr. Layton's HOA Meeting Questions
As requested by AAM we provided a list of questions regarding our community. See below:
10 0816 HOA Meeting Questions
Interesting enough after this document was provided I could see evidence of several trades in our community addressing our complaints. Thus I felt my time was somewhat worthwhile. I was however interested in how AAM would address our questions. Unfourtantely as discussed later we felt ignored.
10 0816 HOA Meeting Questions
Interesting enough after this document was provided I could see evidence of several trades in our community addressing our complaints. Thus I felt my time was somewhat worthwhile. I was however interested in how AAM would address our questions. Unfourtantely as discussed later we felt ignored.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
HOA Annual Meeting Coming Up
All homeowners. This is the letter sent from our HOA regarding the annual meeting.
Hoa Meeting Question Request
Hoa Meeting Question Request
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