Letters to the Editor 7-31-14

Unwanted calls
Editor: Fluoride-free Healdsburg (FFH) has a policy of being courteous at all times and is very concerned about reports that fluoridation opponents have made unwanted and insulting phone calls (Tribune, July 24). FFH has actually made no phone calls at all. Should anyone receive an unwanted phone call from a fluoridation opponent, please get the name and contact information of the caller and send it to [email protected] or call (707) 547-7006. We do not approve of or support this type of activity and are eager to get to the bottom of this.
Julie Kennedy
Healdsburg
Smash hits
Editor: Actors, singers and dancers follow John DeGaetano. I know. I was fortunate to be in his “Joseph” and “Cats.” John also directed the successful productions of “Miss Saigon,” “Evita” and “Les Miserables.”
John’s latest smash hit, “Cabaret,” opened this past weekend to sellout crowds, as the inaugural show of the new North Bay Stage Company at the Wells Fargo Center. Once again, top talent follows John. The man creates musical magic. I wish I was in it, but working as a German bartender, serving Bavarian dishes, beer, and Sonoma wine is “sort of” an acting gig. (And a lot less stage pressure, too.)
North Bay Stage Company’s “Cabaret” runs Aug. 1 through 10 at the Cabaret Theater at Wells Fargo Center. Get your ducats. Then relax at your candle-lit table. And, of course, order a German lager (or, two) from Wilhelm.
William “Wilhelm” Garner
Healdsburg
Going down the drain
Editor: Well, my sewer bill has just jumped $70 per month before taxes. This, in spite of the fact that we were out of the house for seven out of 12 weeks between November 2013, and the end of January 2014. Therefore, it stands to reason that the increase in our water consumption during the city’s “look back period” was a result of the large acreage we own (and for which we pay a correspondingly high property tax) and that those four months were very dry (no rain in October and 1.9 inches of rain from Nov. 20 to Jan. 31 in our back yard). Remember that the logic in using the four winter months as a “look back” rested in the wisdom that every year would present the same climate conditions. It followed that in the winter wet months, a much higher percentage of household water would be attributed to internal use, not landscape. That hypothesis failed miserably this past winter.
We are all working hard to save water, both outside and inside. Our household’s water consumption for the past three billing periods is more than 20 percent less than the same months last year. The reward for that effort is a financial spanking administered by our City — $850 based on “look back period” water consumption that never went down the sewer in the first place — in other words, over $70 a month for the next 12 months for water that never will go down the sewer.
Ok, we shouldn’t expect a “reward” for doing something so vital to the preservation of our way of life — even existence; but we do not deserve a kick in the teeth, either.
Isn’t it so very typical when it comes to how cities manage their utilities that a positive response from a participating, cooperative community results in a penalty. And it is not over — we all know when the other shoe will drop. As soon as drought conditions stabilize and maybe even disappear altogether, we can be sure to see increases in our water bills with the justification that lost revenue during our seasons of conservation has strapped the city which now must play catch up by charging more for the very product we were asked to conserve.
But back to the “look back.” The culprit is a flawed system the city of Healdsburg is using to assess sewer fees. The utter capriciousness of this system is made more apparent with the current climate shift and the on-going drought conditions.
I challenge the city of Healdsburg to reopen the conversation regarding sewer usage and billing practices. Perhaps begin by checking with officials in neighboring communities. I suspect there is a better plan out there somewhere. We do not need to copy, but a hybrid plan that the city can call its own would very likely be more equitable than what we currently have.
In the meantime, it is not too late to correct this billing error that will affect households for the next twelve months. Simply ditch the last four month look back, and use the previous year’s rates. At the same time, the city should provide an “exception-exemption-adjustment form” for property owners who feel that a unique or unusual home situation may have resulted in improper fee penalties. And if the argument against these corrective measures is “lack of office staff to deal with additional paper work and mitigation of complaints,” then I suggest that is all the more reason for a better, simpler method to determine fees for water that actual goes down the sewer (household population?). Use your computers to adjust for the most recent overbilling as well, and post credits or additional charges where applicable to a future billing statement. Quick action requires a nimble city council which I am sure is up to the task.
Don Marshall
Healdsburg
Superior local hospital
Editor: Sixteen years ago, I was asked to be one of a very small group led by Dr. Dan Rose that negotiated and completed the purchase of Healdsburg Hospital from HCA Columbia which had served notice that the hospital was to be closed. When we acquired the hospital, we established a number of priorities, none more important than providing warm, focused patient care, second to none in quality.
Since then, I have been an inpatient at the hospital on three occasions during which I had surgery and extended rehabilitation. Recently, I was there for 25 days following a broken femur. All of my experiences as an inpatient have been overwhelmingly positive. I can not overstate the superiority of our hospital, its emergency room, surgical teams, physicians, nurses aides and techs. The dedicated staff has maintained and exceeded the high standard of excellence which was part of our vision so many years ago.
The aim of this letter is to underscore the vital importance of the hospital to our community. Healdsburg Hospital offers renowned specialized services via its orthopedic surgery department, stroke unit, Wound Care Center and rehabilitation therapy.
All small hospitals are struggling financially, and ours is no exception. Patronage of HDH and contributions to Healthcare Foundation, Northern Sonoma County will help.
Henry H. Hersch
Healdsburg