Sanitation Plan Suits Local Needs

* In his Jan. 14 letter, Mayor Bruce A. Broadwater of Garden Grove made numerous statements regarding the County Sanitation Districts, its philosophy of operations and its desire to acquire the county’s solid-waste disposal system. Unfortunately, much of what Broadwater wrote was factually incorrect.

The County Sanitation Districts currently operates two waste-water treatment facilities, one in Fountain Valley, the other in Huntington Beach. Its interest in operating the solid-waste disposal system dates back to last summer when the county first proposed divesting the landfill system as part of bankruptcy recovery efforts.

If the districts does offer to acquire the landfill system and that offer is accepted by the Board of Supervisors, a new sanitation district would be formed. The new district would be governed by a board of elected city and sanitary district officials who represent and are directly answerable to the residents of Orange County. Self-governance by participating cities would also promote greater sensitivity to specific local needs.

Transfer of ownership would be financed through a bond issue. The existing waste-water Sanitation Districts would not fund the landfill acquisition nor does it have “excess cash” on hand to do so. The dedicated fund balances on hand are the districts’ waste-water operating, self-insurance and capital funds, and represent approximately 12 months’ operating and capital requirements.

The County Sanitation Districts would operate the solid-waste disposal system with the same commitment to efficiency and cost savings as its waste-water treatment operation is now. Districts’ user fees are 40% below the California average, according to an independent study.

Like all of us who live or work in Orange County, the County Sanitation Districts wants our county to grow and prosper.

Should Broadwater want additional information about our interest in operating the solid-waste disposal system, members of the County Sanitation Districts staff and I would be more than happy to meet with him.

JOHN C. COX JR.

Joint chair

County Sanitation Districts of O.C.