Foothills Sentry Page 2 OCTOBER 2025 BRUNCH | LUNCH | DINNER | SPECIAL EVENTS Sit Down & Sip Up. It’s... HAPPY HOUR MONDAY FRIDAY FROM 3PM 6PM OpenTable Diner’s Choice 2025 Winner Best Ambiance, Best Steak 6410 EAST CHAPMAN AVE. | 714.997.2910 THEORANGEHILLRESTAURANT.COM ORANGEHILLRESTAURANT ORANGEHILLEATS Serrano Water announces no rate increases for FY 2025/26 During a public workshop, May 8, the Serrano Water District (SWD) Board of Directors discussed the strategic transition involving Irvine Lake and the transferred responsibilities to the Irvine Ranch Water District (IRWD) that occurred in midJanuary of 2025. The move, characterized as mutually beneficial, allowed SWD to exchange a long-term liability for more reliable and sustainable water supply sources for its customers. As part of the agreement, SWD received an infusion of over $3 million into its reserves. The financial boost, combined with relief from the major capital demands associated with the Irvine Lake and the Howiler Treatment project, enabled the board to delay a previously scheduled water rate increase set for July 2025. Priorities shift This afforded a focus on studying alternative rate structures and prioritizing critical capital improvement projects. Among those projects are drilling a new well to replace one over 90 years old, reconstructing the Smith Reservoir at Sycamore and Taft Streets, upgrading, and adding backup generators, and replacing other aging infrastructure throughout the service area. In a follow-up workshop held Aug. 18, the board convened for the second phase of its rate study discussions. After a review of various rate types, the board concluded that the existing uniform rate structure remains the most equitable and practical for SWD customers. Serrano Water District will now proceed with a comprehensive cost-of-service analysis and additional technical studies. These findings will inform the board's final decision regarding a potential rate adjustment scheduled for July 1, 2026, which will include a Workshop/Public Hearing in the April/May 2026 timeframe. California water agencies typically charge customers based on two components: a fixed charge based on meter size; and volumetric rates per unit (one hundred cubic feet or HCF) of metered water use. SWD currently utilizes a fixed charge based on meters size and a uniform volumetric rate of $5.58 per HCF per month. SWD is in the final year of its current 5-year rate plan, and will vote to authorize that a new rate study be completed before the end of the 2025-26 fiscal year. Orange Council OKs state ballot resolution despite pushback from residents By Carrie Graham In spite of unanimous opposition from over a dozen community members who attended the Sept. 9 Orange City Council meeting, council members narrowly approved a resolution denouncing the state’s plan to redraw congressional districts for the 2026 midterm elections, known as Proposition 50. The proposition will be the only item on a Nov. 4 special election for Californians. It was proposed earlier this year in response to what many are calling "blatant gerrymandering" in Texas designed to alter the outcome of the next congressional election. Several other states, including Ohio, Indiana, Missouri, New Hampshire, Nebraska and South Carolina, may follow Texas’ lead to ensure the country’s ruling party remains in power. In 2008, California passed the Voters First Act, which established a commission of citizens to draw district lines that were fair and promoted competition among elected office hopefuls based on the most recent census data. It created a committee of five members from each of the two largest registered parties, plus four additional members not affiliated. Since then, the California Citizens Redistricting Commission has become the nationwide gold standard for more equitable districting. Party politics on the dais The resolution, brought before the council by member Denis Bilodeau, asked that the city denounce the proposition because it would mean overruling the maps drawn by the commission in 2021. In addition to what he felt was an overstep of the state legislature, Bilodeau also cited the $200 million taxpayer price tag the special election will carry. However, the resolution received resounding scorn from a wide range of community members. A number of public commenters, as well as council members Arianna Barrios and Ana Gutierrez, had not forgotten the council’s July decision to table a resolution that requested federal immigration officials to wear identification and unmask, on the grounds that the council’s duty is to city-specific issues only. “Council members said, 'It's a federal matter. We have no authority.’ You rejected a concept that the city council's role can be advocacy. Therefore, it's misleading and frankly inappropriate for any member of the city council to speak against Proposition 50, which is a state election issue and not something you can decide just because you want to,” said one resident who identified himself only as Alexis. Councilmember Gutierrez, who proposed the tabled July proposal, felt particularly slighted by Bilodeau’s resolution. Double standard “I find it very disingenuous that you would bring this forward,” she said. “I actually find it an insult to me, personally, and to a lot of us Latinos here in Orange, the 41% of us for whom you were silent and willing to table the topic when I spoke to you about what is happening on our streets, the safety in our streets. "This resolution that you’re bringing has nothing to do with the safety of our residents here in Orange. How is it going to better our community?” In addition to issues with the perceived hypocrisy of the situation, other residents believed the council was overstepping its jurisdiction. “It is stated by the California Fair Political Practices Commission that the fundamental precept of this nation's democratic electoral process is that the government may not take sides in election context or bestow an unfair advantage on one of several competing factions,” said resident Devereau “Dev” Sellin. “But that is exactly what the city’s proposed resolution intends to do -- use the influence of the city council to influence the outcome of Proposition 50.” Other members of the public cited inaccuracies in Bilodeau’s resolution as well. Most glaringly absent from the proposal’s language is any acknowledgement of the fact that Proposition 50 is explicitly temporary, authorized only for 2026 through 2030. Learn more at eocwd.com City takes a stand In addition to the citizen’s commission resuming map authority, the proposition also calls on the federal legislature, in 2031, to pass laws making voting commissions, like the one in California, the law of the land going forward to ensure fairer election practices nationwide. Ultimately, the resolution passed 4-3, with Bilodeau, as well as members Kathy Tavoularis, John Gyllenhammer and Jon Dumitru voting in favor. A substitution motion to table the resolution was shot down after receiving support only from members Gutierrez and Barrios. Mayor Slater voted against both the resolution and the motion to table it, reiterating that it was not the city’s place to have an opinion. “Any council member is welcome to put anything on the agenda they wish, and we can have open debate and discussion. That's what we're here for. But again, I will not be supporting this because I think that we have enough to deal with at this city level,” he advised. Viet Nam memorial gets local attention The Orange Elks made a $1,475 donation to the Viet Nam Veterans Memorial, located in Washington, D.C., in honor of veterans. The three-quarter scale replica of the memorial, "The Wall That Heals,” is coming to Orange, Oct. 2-5. The exhibit will be displayed in Grijalva Park and will be open to visitors 24 hours a day. This is the wall's only Southern California appearance and is expected to attract visitors from throughout the region.
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