Agenda item #2: Comments by Al Rice (November 17, 2015)

True North has known survey defects and questionable sample of 400 telephone contacts, Hayward’s visit of January 13 of Ranchos facilities for a couple of hours, but invoices lack and do not report his 5-hour travels and no time for on-site observations. His valuation included only six lines of the Ranchos-submitted numbers to the CPUC which he forgot to include a $12.6 million missing line in his total Ranchos value of $46.3 million using 1/1/2014 data. Later these same line numbers resulted in value of $50.3 million using 12/31/2014 data but have not been shared with residents. Why not? Hayward’s invoices total $127,457 with expenditures of $3,400 for books. Why pay for these books? I demand that these books be returned to TOAV.

Other important issues include:

The Town Manager rejecting the offer from Chamber of Commerce to engage in dialogue with Ranchos Water Company which may have provided you with additional important information, one out-of-date transparency report of costs and declining project budget without inclusion of advertising, etc. Mayor Cusack held a few outreach community meetings with several hundred people, but Town has 72,000 residents!!

Critical to focus now on:

This is more than just an acquisition. Unlike new cars, there is no information sticker and no possibility of a recall of it. YOU WILL OWN ALL OF IT folks. Without a complete knowledge of essential Ranchos Operations and Maintenance and that Park Water also provide critical ownership involvement, which has not been addressed. Councilmembers, you will make your legacy on this vote. Can you later flip as you did on the golf course and Sitting Bull re-zoning? Millions of financial assets are quickly diminishing to fund Mr. Brown’s invoices and leading your legal and other interests going forward. Town’s borrowing capacity is being reduced with the large expenditures in many budget categories.

Mr. John Brown may not be involved much longer as this process is expected to require about two years. What will you do for leadership? Will this be another Yucca Loma Bridge situation — a beautiful/fantastic vision without a diligent reality check? The Town has spent and lost some of its important financial capacity.

Are you NOW going to vote — without due diligence to obtain all of the answers to your questions and getting the complete facts and necessary expert opinions?

Your choice!!