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MINUTES OF A SPECIAL JOINT MEETING
of the
THE MONTECITO WATER DISTRICT AND
CARPINTERIA WATER DISTRICTS
held at the
MONTECITO UNION SCHOOL
385 SAN YSIDRO ROAD, MONTECITO, CALIFORNIA
at 3:00 p.m. on WEDNESDAY, JULY 7, 1999
CALL TO
ORDER, ROLL CALL AND INTRODUCTION
Following the convening of the Carpinteria Valley Water
District Board of Directors, the Montecito Water District Board meeting was called to
order by President Puddicombe at 3:00 p.m. Those in attendance were:
| Present: |
Montecito Water District
Directors Abel, Jones, Puddicombe, Wilson
Carpinteria Valley Water District Directors Drain, Lemere, Lieberknecht and Van Wingerden |
| Absent: |
Montecito Water District
Director Campbell and Carpinteria Valley Water District Director Roberts |
| Also Present: |
C. Charles Evans, Manager,
Montecito Water District
Charles Hamilton, Manager, Carpinteria Valley Water District
Evalyn Kerman, Business Manager
Cathy Muneio, Secretary
Chip Wullbrandt, Counsel
Steve Hickox, Water Treatment Superintendent
Dr. David Nelson, CA Dept. of Health Services, Dental Section
Jeff Green, S.B. Citizens for Safe Drinking Water
Dr. Elliott Schulman, S.B. County Public Health Officer
Riki Berlin
Steve Sherrill
Caroline J. Turner
Carol Ostrolf
Sean Hutchinson
Michael Glick
Alice Yong
Louise Margueling
Patricia Seler
Patricia Bragg
Mary Jeanne Ernst
Patty Rodriguez
Paloma Kallio
Sydney Gay
Harry Kislett
Mrs. G. Underhill
Gerald Malovos
Anders Johnson
Annie White
Montino Bourbon
Kenneth Dean
Riki Berlin
May Schiller
Janice Birlenbach
Jeff Green
Arthur Hubbard
Tom Ruzzeto
Chin-Nan Lai
Gloria Mostue
George Underhill |
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COMMENTS BY
BOB ROEBUCK, WATER RESOURCE MANAGER, CITY OF SANTA BARBARA, REGARDING CITY’S REQUEST
TO THE DISTRICTS
TO PROVIDE COMMENTS ON POSSIBLE FLOURIDATION
Bob Roebuck, Water Resources Manager for the City of Santa
Barbara, spoke on the City’s request to receive comments from the Montecito Water
District and the Carpinteria Valley Water District relative to the State’s mandate
for water fluoridation. Both the Districts have a joint agreement with the City to receive
treated water from the Cater Treatment Plant. Mr. Roebuck explained that Assembly Bill
733, the Statewide Fluoridation Act, requires the fluoridation of public water systems
with 10,000 or more service connections to put fluoride in their water. He said that the
City of Santa Barbara falls within this category, but since Montecito and Carpinteria
Water Districts have a contract with the City of Santa Barbara to receive water treated by
Santa Barbara, the City had written a letter to them requesting comments.
CARPINTERIA-MONTECITO TREATMENT
CONTRACTS WITH CITY
AND COMMENT ON MIX OF WATER SUPPLIES
Chuck Evans, General Manager with the Montecito Water
District, explained the contract that the District has with the City of Santa Barbara. He
distributed a portion of the agreement which discussed changes in future treatment
requirements, and showed the flow of water resources from the Cater Plant and from Jameson
Lake.
Charles Hamilton, General Manager with the Carpinteria
Valley Water District, explained that the Carpinteria Water District receives some water
from the Cater Treatment Plant through the South Coast conduit and that the rest of the
District’s water is received from groundwater wells. He said that if the District
receives fluoridated water from the Cater Treatment Plant, the District will need to
decide if fluoridation equipment should be placed at well sites to serve the optimum level
of fluoride throughout the Capinteria District.
COMMENTS BY DR. DAVID NELSON, CALIFORNIA
DEPARTMENT
OF HEALTH SERVICES, DENTAL SECTION
Dr. David Nelson, from the Dental Section of the California
Department of Health Services, presented the pros of placing fluoride in the drinking
water. He said that San Diego and Los Angeles will begin fluoridating soon and that much
of the rest of the United States was already doing so. He said that articles clearly show
that fluoride reduces decay 50% in children who do not have good access to dental care. He
said that the cost for placing fluoride is about $.54 per person per year. Dr. Nelson
explained that funding is now available thanks to a $10 million grant from the California
Endowment. He explained that under the State’s fluoridation expansion program, that
money would cover local water agencies’ startup costs and a year and a half of
maintenance expenses. After that on-going costs would become a local responsibility.
COMMENTS OF SANTA BARBARA
CITIZENS
FOR SAFE DRINKING WATER
Jeff Green, representing the Santa Barbara Citizens for
Safe Drinking Water, spoke on the cons of placing fluoride in drinking water. He said that
it lowers IQ levels, removes calcium from the body, and in turn causes more hip fractures.
He said that even if a person believes fluoride is great they may receive more than is
considered necessary since it is already in several types of foods and juices. He asked
that Santa Barbara pass an ordinance prohibiting placing fluoride in water.
COMMENTS BY DR. ELLIOTT SCHULMAN,
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICER
Dr. Elliott Schulman, Santa Barbara County Public Health
Officer, said water fluoridation is needed as a preventative measure for children,
particularly from poor families who do not have access to good dental care.
QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS BY BOARD
MEMBERS OF MONTECITO AND
CARPINTERIA VALLEY DISTRICTS
The Montecito Water District Board members and the
Carpinteria Valley Water District Board members asked questions and gave comments. One
question was how much fluoride would be placed in the water since there is already natural
fluoridation in water. It was explained that there is presently about 0.4 mg/l and a total
of 0.8 to 0.9 mg/l would be needed. Mr. Roebuck was asked if the City of Santa Barbara
could avoid putting fluoride in the South Coast Conduit that supplies Montecito and
Carpinteria. He said that there could be multiple fluoridation points separate from the
South Coast Conduit, but that this would be much more expensive, about $500,000 versus
$160,000 for fluroridation facilities at Cater. It was also asked by one of the Board
members if the Districts decided to voluntarily comply to place fluoride in their other
water supplies, assuming the City places it in the Cater supply, would this be paid for by
the grant funds. Dr. Nelson said it would not because the two Districts have a contract
with the City of Santa Barbara, and do not have the required 10,000 connections.
PUBLIC COMMENTS FROM MONTECITO
AND CARPINTERIA CUSTOMERS RELATIVE TO POSSIBLE FLUORIDATION OF A PORTION OF THE
DISTRICTS’ WATER SUPPLIES (CACHUMA) AT CITY OF SANTA BARBARA CATER TREATMENT PLANT
Public comments were taken. There were two people who were
in favor of fluoridating water and 29 opposed. Opponents to the fluoride program contended
that the substance causes cancer, brittle bones and other ailments. They also argued that
the use of the chemical should be a matter of individual choice. There was a concern that
medicine is being placed in drinking water. Those against fluoridation also said that if
children ate proper foods, they would not have a problem with tooth decay.
Backers of fluoridation argued that the substance must be
added to tap water to fight tooth decay, especially among children who are poor and do not
have access to dentists.
PUBLIC FORUM
No comments were made from the public during public forum.
ADJOURNMENT
Following adjournment of the Carpinteria Valley Water
District Board , President Puddicombe adjourned the Montecito Water District Board meeting
at 4:50 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
___________________________
C. Charles Evans, Secretary
Approved:
___________________________
Robert W. Puddicombe, President
Note: The agenda for this meeting was posted at the front
counter and the front wall of the Montecito Water District,
at the Carpinteria Valley Water District, and at the Montecito Union School,
on July 2, 1999.
©1998 Montecito Water District
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