Mark West preparing for self government

Election season may have just ended, but some locals are already
looking forward to the ballot of November 2011.
In fact, for those who have been involved with the development
of the proposed Mark West Community Services District from its
earliest stages, November 2011 will mark the culmination of nearly
two decades of research and work on developing elected
representation for the Mark West area.
“We’re excited that all the work that’s been done is heading in
the direction of the ballot,” said resident and Mark West Services
Committee member Doug Williams. “A lot of us stuck with it, with
the idea that at some point we were going to give the community a
chance to give their input. Now we’re going to let people vote on
it.”
While the District could take over almost every service
traditionally provided by a municipality, its ability to generate
revenue is limited to voter approved special assessment districts
or securing funding from outside sources.
Williams said initially, the MWCSD will have limited authority
but by having a board in place, the community will be ready to take
advantages of opportunities for self determination when those
opportunities present themselves.
The MWCSD concept stemmed from a committee formed to discuss
control of the local water supply in the early 1990s. Mark West
residents lack control over their water supply, which has
historically been—and continues to be—provided by a private water
retailer.
Without a local form of governance, residents could not gain
control of their water supply by purchasing the water rights when
they became available. According to Williams, water rights have
changed hands twice in the past, and residents did not have the
opportunity to purchase them either time.
“What if the water system ever came up for sale, if the company
wants to sell it?” Williams asked. “There’s one question, which is
whether the community could afford it. But the second thing is,
they couldn’t do anything unless a district was in place. The last
time it was sold, and the time before that, there wasn’t a
government structure in place to even address that question.”
More recently, Supervisor Paul Kelley formed the Mark West
Community Services Committee to address both water supply and,
potentially, limited self-government for the Mark West area.
According to a July LAFCO staff report on MWCSD, “In the past,
residents of the area voiced concerns over the cost of water
services, claiming that the fees were higher than those found
elsewhere in the County. The residents, wanting to obtain local
control over the water services, approached Supervisor Paul Kelley
for assistance. After substantial discussions with the residents,
Supervisor Kelley appointed five citizens to a Mark West Community
Services Committee (“Committee”) to explore options to take over
the delivery of domestic water to the area. After years of
deliberation, the Committee determined the best option would be to
form a community services district.”
The Sonoma Local Agency Formation Commission approved the MWCSD
at its September 1 meeting, but state law required a protest period
to allow citizens to voice any concerns about the proposal. That
period concluded with the November 3 LAFCO meeting.
“There were no protests received,” said Carole Cooper, Assistant
Executive Officer for the Sonoma LAFCO, noting that residents still
retained ultimate control over the project. “There will be an
opportunity for people to vote on the proposal, which is required
by law for the formation of the district.”
The MWCSD could provide the Mark West area with benefits beyond
the ability to purchase water rights, and potentially form a
cornerstone of self-government for the community.
“The roots go back to trying to work with the water company on
how rates are set, and that goes back two decades. Through the
process, it was determined that maybe there were other things the
community could benefit from by coming together. The Community
Services District Act lists a whole array of benefits that can be
provided, which are very similar to what a city can provide, except
for planning,” Williams said.
The formation of the district does not involve levying a fee on
Mark West residents. Any residents registered to vote within the
boundary of the proposed district may run for a seat on the MWCSD
board, and board members will be placed on the November 2011
ballot.
“The hope is that people will have a go-to place with a locally
elected board. Perhaps sometimes the community needs to come
together on questions or issues that are controversial, and this
could serve as a platform to discuss some of those issues, and it
could be approached from a local perspective instead of going to
the Board of Supervisors,” Williams said. “Once a board gets
established, you’ll find that it’ll take on its own direction and
purpose and it will be the next decision-making body.”