Could Costa Mesa’s water and sanitary districts become one?
The Costa Mesa Sanitary District and the Mesa Water District are considering a merger.
In the weeks ahead, officials plan to discuss how best to vet the idea, examining whether joining the separate government agencies makes financial and operational sense.
The effort is apparently being led by Mesa Water, which sent a letter in April to the sanitary district asking the agency if it would join in studying the possibility of a merger.
In an April 22 letter, Mesa Water President Shawn Dewane told the sanitary district: “Our agencies share a unique opportunity to do something great for our community. In fact, conducting a mutual study in a transparent manner will exhibit that we have positive intentions to serve our public in the most economical, effective and efficient way possible.”
A joint study, he added, “is a chance for us to drive the destiny of our organizations’ future.”
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Sanitary district officials emphasized that the process shouldn’t be quick, as there are many issues that need to be examined in detail.
“There is a tremendous amount of information that needs to be discussed by our two agencies and possibly other agencies before a study can begin,” sanitary district President Mike Scheafer wrote in a June 2 letter to Mesa Water. “These issues will take time to fully develop and gain consensus from both agencies so that a well-thought-out study can be conducted and the results can be meaningful. Both agencies working together in an open and transparent manner will yield the best results, which will benefit our constituents.”
The sanitary district board will meet Tuesday morning to discuss participating in the joint study. If board members agree that it’s a good idea, they could officially vote to do so on June 23. They also could decide not to participate at all, said sanitary district General Manager Scott Carroll.
Tuesday’s study session will begin at 9:30 a.m. at the district headquarters, 628 W. 19th St., Costa Mesa.
Meanwhile, Mesa Water is taking its own steps to explore consolidation. On Thursday, it will consider hiring a paid consultant who would study if a combined Mesa Water and sanitary district is an opportunity for efficiencies, said Stacy Taylor, Mesa Water’s external-affairs manager.
“Mesa Water hopes to work collaboratively with Costa Mesa Sanitary District through this process,” Taylor said Friday. “Once the results of the study are realized, we’ll determine next steps.”
This isn’t the first time the notion of a merger has been raised. In 2012, sanitary district board member Bob Ooten, then the board president, said merging was a possibility. He believed the Republican Party of Orange County was supporting some candidates in that year’s election who favored consolidation.
The sanitary district, which was founded in 1944, before Costa Mesa’s incorporation, provides sewer and curbside trash collection services to residents of Costa Mesa, parts of Newport Beach and unincorporated sections of Orange County. Mesa Water’s service area is similar.
Mesa Water traces its roots to the early 1900s. Over the years, separate water agencies combined, eventually forming what Mesa Water is today.
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Luke Money, lucas.money@latimes.com
Twitter: @LukeMMoney
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