LOS ALAMITOS : Water District Role Defended by Officials

Los Alamitos County Water District officials this week fired back at a move to dissolve the district in order to save money.

Officials said that it would be impractical for the district to disband and that taxpayers would probably end up paying more than they do now.

Carolyn T. Sylvia, wife of Los Alamitos City Council member Charles E. Sylvia, said that disbanding the district would save taxpayers about $70,000 a year because the cost of running an office and paying for the salaries of the general manager and board directors would be eliminated.

In a six-page report submitted to the five-member board earlier this month, Sylvia also said that Los Alamitos and the Rossmoor Community Services District should be asked to provide sewer service to their residents.

The district was formed in 1952 to collect and dispose of waste water, according to Jack Rosenthal, recently elected board president. It is responsible for repairs and maintenance of 54 miles of sewer lines at a cost of about $1 a month in property taxes for households in Los Alamitos, Rossmoor and portions of Seal Beach and Cypress, Rosenthal said.

Director Arlyss Burkett said the call to dissolve the district may have been influenced by the announced merger of small water districts in South County and plans by Costa Mesa and Garden Grove to take over operations of their respective sanitary districts.

“The situation here is different,” Burkett said. “We’re taking our job very seriously, and so far we’ve had no major complaints.”

Sandra Montez, the district’s general manager, said the operating budget is $162,000 for the 1993-94 fiscal year. The district spends about $32,000 on salaries and benefits, she said, calling Sylvia’s estimate of potential savings exaggerated.