LAdP NEWSLETTERS
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MDWCA-LAS ACEQUIAS DE PLACITAS NEWSLETTER – FEBRUARY 2019
P.O. Box 811
Placitas, NM 87043
At its General Membership meeting on Friday, January 25, 2019, the members present voted unanimously for the Emergency Infrastructure Plan, which you'll find a link to on the homepage here under "DOWNLOADABLE FILES".
This Newsletter is an effort to inform all of the MDWCA-Las Acequias de Placitas Domestic Water System/Irrigators of the reasons for the Plan and the contents of the Plan.
As everyone is aware, this past summer the extreme shortage of both domestic and irrigation water, made it necessary to shut off the domestic water system for 16 hours per day for a period of months, to issue “boil before using” advisories, and to extremely limit irrigation water. Because of this emergency situation, at the General Membership meeting on Friday, September 28, 2018, a subcommittee of volunteers was formed to assess the situation and prepare an Emergency Infrastructure Plan.
The subcommittee is composed of Jon Gregg, Ken Jones, Bob Wessely, Bob Grubesic and Noe Charbonneau. The subcommittee met many times, did exhaustive research and produced the Plan, which is to be presented to the New Mexico Congressional Delegation, State Legislators and other potential funders. In addition to the State Capital Outlay Grants we already have, we hope to secure a combination of Federal and State grants so that Las Acequias can begin to remediate the situation and upgrade our antiquated infrastructure as soon as possible.
As part of the plan, the Las Acequias Board and Subcommittee expect that for some of the potential grants, Las Acequias will have to provide partially matching funds. In addition, to show that we are applying in good faith, the Plan provides for a doubling of the current water rates, starting April 1, 2019, from $30 per month to $60 per month (with an option to pay monthly rather than quarterly). The additional $30 per month will be deposited in a separate bank account. Those funds will be apportioned as follows: 85% to provide matching funds for new grants, 10% to augment Las Acequias’ current system improvement efforts and 5% to partially subsidize the rate increase for low-income customers.
To qualify as a low-income customer, you will need to show that you have also qualified for the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). For LIHEAP eligibility requirements, call (800) 283-4455 or go to http://www.hsd.state.nm.us/LookingForAssistance/Low_Income_Home_Energy_Assistance_Program.aspx.
We need your input or comments regarding the proposed rate increase. Are you in favor, against it or have a different solution? We need your immediate feedback (comments) in writing to the Board at the above address or by email to the Commissioners and the Subcommittee.
If the program gets fully funded without needing all the matching funds, then an adjustment of the rate increase downward and/or a rebate will be proposed at a later membership meeting.
This newsletter is also posted on the Las Acequias website, which contains a wealth of other information, https://lasacequiasdeplacitas.com/. To access the member section, contact Webmaster Ken Jones at tatkhj@gmail.com.
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF MDWCA-LAS ACEQUIAS DE PLACITAS
Bert DeLara, President, rmdlr752@gmail.com
Jon Gregg, Secretary, gregor4000@aol.com
Carolyn Kennedy, Treasurer, cjkennedy@comcast.net
SUBCOMMITTEE ON INFRASTRUCTURE:
Bob Wessely, wessely@SciSo.com
Noe Charbonneau, noecharbonneau@yahoo.com
Bob Grubesic, mad-croat@live.com
Ken Jones, tatkhj@gmail.com