CAMARILLO : School Trustees Seek Break on Water Fee

Camarillo city officials should give a break on water fees to the school district because city residents also use school playing fields, whose appearance reflects on the whole community, school officials say.

Though the Pleasant Valley Elementary School District has reduced its water usage by 35% since the city started its conservation program, the district’s water bill has increased by 41% in the past two years, school officials said.

The district asked the city late last year to give it a break on water fees, which rose to $88,810 between November, 1990, and November, 1991, and increased by 43% in the past three months alone.

Trustee Leonard Diamond suggested at a school board meeting Thursday that the district refrain from watering the playing fields to see how the community reacts.

“We’re in a tremendous pinch,” Trustee Dolores V. Rains said. “Fields are being watered just in order to prevent the loss of the turf” and for the safety of the children.

Rather than accept the city’s denial of their appeal on water fees, trustees argued that a school-city liaison committee should discuss the issue further.

Trustees agreed to let the school facilities committee work with city officials, who had suggested that the district install new meters to save on its water bill.

But trustees said they doubted that the new meters, which would cost $15,000 to $30,000 to install, would save money.