RANCHO MURIETA, CA (MPG) - The Rancho Murieta Community Services District Board discussed a range of topics at its April 16 meeting, but none were fraught, like some issues at past meetings.

The highlight of the meeting was the board’s recognition of Ron Greenfield, who has retired as the district’s utility supervisor. Other topics included a water bill complaint, Cal Waste rate adjustments, proposed Capital Improvement Projects for the 2025=26 fiscal year budget, a repair at the Water Treatment Plant and an ordinance raising barcode sticker fees. Two residents also objected to the draft Integrated Water Master Plan.

Three key figures were absent from the meeting, including Board President Steve Booth, who has informed the district he will not be attending meetings for the time being. (See the story in the April 11 issue or online at therivervalleytimes.com.) Also absent were Director of Finance and Administration Mark Matulich and Director of Operations Eric Houston, both out sick.

Ron Greenfield was honored at the board meeting for his 11 years of service to the Rancho Murieta Community Services District. The board approved a resolution recognizing his contributions as utilities supervisor. Greenfield told the board he plans to spend his first six months of retirement “chilling, traveling and fishing.”

Board members and staff congratulated him, with Director Linda Butler noting that he already looked younger, and adding that the “ladies in the front office” all agreed.

During public comments, resident Kristie Wagner addressed the board about an issue with her water bill that she had been trying to resolve for months. Wagner explained that when she purchased a home on Colina Lane in July 2022, the district failed to record the change in ownership and did not send her any water bills. She only became aware of the problem in July—after her tenant moved out—when she received an unbilled account notice for $4,656.

Wagner said the situation resulted from the district’s failure to follow its policies, including failing to record the deed transfer, issuing monthly bills or shutting off water for non-payment. 

She told the board that if those procedures had been followed, she would have known about the billing issue much sooner. She asked for the board’s help in resolving the matter.

Deb Brittain, a real estate agent, also addressed the board, pointing out that Wagner had omitted a key detail: She was selling the Colina Lane property, with escrow scheduled to close the following day. 

Brittain proposed transferring the outstanding water bill to Wagner’s current Rancho Murieta residence to avoid delaying the property sale. She explained that this approach would allow the sale to proceed while giving the board time to resolve the billing issue. The board, particularly Director Tim Maybee, agreed with the proposal, as did Wagner and District Counsel Patrick Enright. General Manager Mimi Morris was directed to confirm the arrangement with the title company the following day.

Also, during public comments, resident and former Board Member Betty Ferraro raised concerns about the Cal Waste green waste contract and proposed rate increases. She referenced a prior notification indicating residents would no longer place household green waste in their containers and would receive a credit. However, she said she had not seen any such credit applied and was troubled to see Cal Waste requesting a budget increase. Ferraro questioned whether the credit issue had been resolved and why rates were increasing, expressing frustration that the community might end up “holding the bag” for Cal Waste’s mistakes.

Morris explained that SB 1383 introduced significant challenges for waste haulers by requiring stricter organic waste separation and limiting disposal options. These new regulations have made it more expensive for haulers to manage waste, contributing to rising costs. 

She noted that while the district had initially hoped to reduce expenses through a low-population waiver, the actual savings were minimal. Morris added that the district is exploring alternatives, such as local composting, so Cal Waste doesn’t have to transport green waste to Yolo County. Still, any potential cost savings from such efforts are limited.

Regarding the proposed rate increase for the upcoming year, Morris said the company’s contract with the district includes an annual rate adjustment tied to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). It is an escalator to help the service provider keep pace with inflation.

Cal Waste owner Rudy Vaccarezza said they are committed to working with the district to find the best path forward and are willing to help navigate the complexities of the new regulations. He also noted that the district received a waiver from conducting route audits (trash policing) and said Cal Waste is now seeking direction from the board on the desired level of service going forward.

During her review of the proposed 2025-26 fiscal year budget, General Manager Mimi Morris presented a list of proposed Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) totaling approximately $5 million, all of which would be funded from reserves. Director Randy Jenco expressed concern that the $5 million figure was too high, noting the district is only contributing $2.6 million to reserves next year. He recommended shifting the CIP discussion to the Improvements Committee to prioritize projects and reduce overall costs. The board appeared to support his suggestion.

Infrastructure Repairs 

Plant Supervisor Travis Bohannon, filling in for Director of Operations Eric Houston, briefed the board on two repair projects. He explained that during a scheduled rehabilitation at Water Treatment Plant 2, removing media from the filter bed revealed several additional issues requiring repair. He recommended completing the work now to avoid repeating the process later, and the board approved an updated repair cost of $75,000. Bohannon also reported that repairs to the Alameda Lift Station have been postponed until winter to minimize disruption to the Rancho Murieta Country Club during peak play and to avoid the $15,000 cost of providing portable toilets on site.

Two residents raised concerns about the draft of the Integrated Water Master Plan (IWMP), with Tom Harry speaking during public comments and Janis Eckard submitting a written letter.

Harry strongly opposed a proposed alternative that suggested existing residents should conserve water to accommodate future development. He urged the board to remove that option from the plan, arguing that conservation by current residents should not be used to support growth. 

He also noted that although developers recently withdrew plans for the villages near the back lakes, the land remains developable and should still be factored into water supply planning.

In her letter, longtime community advocate Janis Eckard emphasized that neither she nor Save Our Lakes & Open Spaces is anti-development. 

“But I am anti-running out of water,” she wrote. Eckard stressed the importance of correcting the draft IWMP to “determine once and for all how many homes could be supported by the existing water supply.”

Morris informed the board that staff is exploring ways to reduce insurance costs, including reconsidering a specialized policy for the dams, which has risen from $11,000 to $47,000. 

She said Houston was comfortable not purchasing the policy, citing the minimal risk of catastrophic failure associated with earthen dams. The board directed that Houston provide additional context on the condition of the dams and potential risks at a future meeting.

The board waived the first reading on a do-over ordinance that imposes a new fee of $10 per vehicle for barcode stickers. The ordinance will be brought back in May for final adoption. The board held the first reading on the same ordinance in December but didn’t complete the process because of some community objections. 

The renewal fee will first appear on the June monthly service bill sent around July 1 and then annually on the January 1 bill.

The board also discussed the need to maintain an inventory of emergency replacement parts, particularly for the aging steel pipe beneath Lake Clementia. Bohannon noted that purchasing spare pipe sections can be costly: around $30,000 to $40,000 for 20-foot segments. Directors Jenco and Maybee suggested keeping some critical parts in stock to enable quick repairs when needed.

Morris also reported on recent repairs to the Cosumnes Irrigation Association (CIA) Ditch, which totaled $75,000, with the district responsible for one-third of the cost. 

The work included applying Gunite to a section of the ditch, removing trees and addressing additional issues uncovered during a recent post-storm inspection.

The board also approved a revised job description for the utility supervisor.