LOS ALAMITOS : City Delays Vote on Water District Split

A divided City Council has voted to delay for six months a decision on whether to break off from the Los Alamitos County Water District.

Monday’s 3-2 vote means that an application to the Local Agency Formation Commission, which would have started the process of separating from the water district, will not be considered by the council again until October, officials said. Under that plan, the city government would take over sewer services within its boundaries.

“I’m puzzled and frustrated,” said Mayor Anthony R. Selvaggi, who wanted to file the application immediately. “Nothing will change in six months.”

Councilman Charles E. Sylvia, whose wife, Carolyn, began the effort to persuade the council to break away from the water district, also voted to file the application right away.

Advocates of a separate sewer system say that it would save taxpayers money and increase efficiency.

But a council majority insisted that water district officials be given time to present a long-term plan for repairs and replacement of the 54 miles of sewer lines that link households in Los Alamitos, Rossmoor and portions of Seal Beach and Cypress.

“Everything is heated right now,” said Councilman Ronald Bates, adding that the issue of breaking away from the water district after 42 years has divided the community. “We need to step back and give the (water district) board the courtesy to devise a plan.”

Council members Alice Jempsa and Robert P. Wahlstrom joined Bates in voting to delay the LAFCO application, which would allow the district to consider ways of operating at a lower cost.

“We welcome the council’s action,” said Jack Rosenthal, president of the five-member water district board. “I think it’s going to save taxpayers money. It would be extremely costly to go through what they were planning to do.”

An application to LAFCO would cost the city $5,000. In addition, there would be legal and other expenses in preparing the applications, officials said.

Rosenthal said that the current system runs efficiently and at a reasonable cost. But he said that in the next six months, the water district will examine its operations, seeking ways to raise more money for future replacement and repair of aging sewer lines.