Blue Ribbon Comittee

Things Have Changed Since 2011

In 2011, the Town empaneled a Blue Ribbon Committee to examine acquisition of Apple Valley Ranchos. It advised against a purchase — and the Town Council agreed — based on information available at the time. The world has changed since then. In 2012, Ranchos began implementing rate increases totaling 19 percent. In 2014, it requested another 31.55 percent rate hikes.

In reviewing the most recent request, the Office of Ratepayer Advocates found “overestimates in operational and administrative costs, infrastructure and forecast of water sales.” All of this, along with Ranchos’ proposed sale to a Canadian firm, has convinced us that Town acquisition is the right move at this time.

Several former members of the Committee agree, and have spoken out publicly in favor of community ownership of the water system. For instance, Bill McDaniel, a respected community figure who was on the Blue Ribbon Committee, recently told us, “That was then and now is now. We need relief from these relentless rate increases.”