• City Council Meeting September 2019

A very light agenda had only the adoption of a tobacco code amendment and the appointing of a new planning commissioner. 

Arguably the biggest news came before the meeting officially started 
The first order of business was to reconvene out of closed session, that came with a report from Wildomar city attorney Tom Jex regarding the LEAPS project which is set in Lake Elsinore.

"The city council unanimously gave direction to intervene in a pending administrative hearing before FERC regarding LEAPS."

I don't know what that will entail at this point, but we want to go on record that we are opposed to the project.

Being that this meeting fell on September 11th, the meeting began with a moment of silence and then the singing of our National Anthem, beautifully done Alexa Oliver.

We then had a presentation by our Wildomar Fire Battalion Chief, John Crater, reminding us of the devastation experienced during September 11, 2001.

The 2019 chamber of commerce award winners were recognized by Mayor Marsha Swanson. The photo montage is with images from the actual awards dinner.

• Citizen of the year: Todd Donohoe
• Deputy of the year: Officer Andrew McCracken
• Volunteer of the Year: Chrissy Rohlmeier
• Firefighter of the Year: Captain Matt Misenhimer

We were also introduced to our newest officer:
McGruff the Crime Dog

This was McGruff's first public appearance!
Top: Bridgette Moore, Dustin Nigg, Ben Benoit.
Bottom: Marsha Swanson, McGruff, Joseph Morabito.

2.1 Tobacco Code Amendment
This came with very little fanfare. What started back in May was finished at the September city council meeting. 

The extreme proximity to the elementary school is demonstrated in this image.

Though some in town either didn't care, or were upset, about the decision to block the opening of a smoke/vape shop that had sought to open within a stone's throw from Wildomar Elementary, the majority in town were heard, and the council acted to prevent it from coming to be.

Link to May 25, 2019 blog about the smoke shop

Link to May 29, 2019 blog regarding the smoke shop

The gist of the ordinance amendment is that any such new businesses will need to be at least 600 feet from a school, park or church. 

3.1 Planning Commission Appointment
Councilmember Dustin Nigg appointed Arrin Banks to the planning commission. She's lived in town, in The Farm more specifically, for three years and I've seen her attending most city meetings for at least the last two years. 

Truth be known, when I got elected I had hoped she would apply then... which is no slight to Eric Filar, I just didn't really know him at that time. ☺

The meeting doesn't start until about the 6 minute mark of the video.

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The friendship of the overly friendly person is too often like a fire in the grate. Exceedingly bright to look at, but not reliable should you wish to keep warm on a really cold day.
– EG Marshall CBSRMT 1977

Wildomar Rap is nothing like a fire in the grate but can be friendly on occasion.

This blog was produced for viewing on a desktop or a laptop. Though it's been optimized for smartphones, the formatting can look odd on a smartphone or if you get this delivered through email (such as missing video links). Link to proper format.

• Close to 100 People Attend Anti-LEAPS Meeting

This is dealing with a very comprehensive topic, that of LEAPS, which is an acronym for Lake Elsinore Advanced Pumped Storage. If you're new to the topic, it's a biggin. 

A packed house for the LEAPS meeting at the VFW.

I'll be the first one to tell you that I didn't know much more than the average person before the meeting. Now I know a little bit more than the average person when it comes to LEAPS, it's that complicated.

What isn't complicated is the premise. 

A premise that is quite old by this point in 2018, and one that I'd thought was killed off ten years ago. I remember laughing over the absurdity of it before Wildomar even became a city.

In short, the scheme envisions building a 5,000 acre feet reservoir in Decker Canyon. 

I looked all over the internet for an actual photo of the area, but came up empty. This is from google images of the area. The red circle is [part of] Decker Canyon. The yellow star is where I took a photo of Decker Canyon from South Main Divide (below), and the blue star is where I took a photo from Decker Canyon Road (also below). The red street marker on Grand is where the pump station was said to be going in (photo below), currently an empty field just south of Santa Rosa Drive.

The idea is to then pump water from Lake Elsinore up to it at night, then let it flow back to the lake during peak hours (presumably between 2:00pm and 8:00pm) when electricity rates are highest.

This photo was taken off of Decker Canyon Road, from the approximate location indicated by the blue star in the graphic above. The arrow is pointing to the location of the yellow star in the previously mentioned graphic.

This photo was taken from South Main Divide, indicated by the yellow star in the graphic above. The arrow is pointing to the location of the blue star (see graphic up above). It's hard to judge by this photo, but the arrow is several hundred feet lower than the spot where the picture was taken.

It was declared that this project would NOT generate any [net] energy at all. 

In fact, the figures given by the speaker, John Pecora, stated that LEAPS would only recover 85% of the energy expended while getting the water to the upper reservoir when it's released for its midday journey back to the lake.

John Pecora spoke to those in attendance. He had a no nonsense approach, but still came off as a friendly person even after he'd tell a person with an off topic question, "We're not going to talk about that right now, we can talk about that in discussion". Which started after 8pm, once the meeting had concluded. 

He reiterated, more than once, that he wasn't there to talk about how the project functions, the merits of the project, or whether he likes the project or not. He was there to help with how to file paper work about how the project will be affecting them, and in seeking compensation.

In other words, if they spend 100 units getting the water up, they only get back 85 units as it comes back down.

Sounds like one of those "offers you can't refuse".

How is that a good thing?

It's certainly not about the environment, conservation, ecology, or green energy. 

It's about money. 

Pump the water up at night, at a net loss of electricity, and then collect higher fees from the rate payers as it trickles back down in the peak times. 

Pretty clever... pretty cagey... pretty slimy in the real world.

Oh, and if this wasn't enough on it's own, anyone remember ENRON? 

Yeah, according to what was said at the meeting, one of the key players in this is a former ENRON guy. He's the LEAPS project manager, David Kates.

 This is a 3-d map of the Falls Fire dated 2013. I'm using it to give you a different perspective of the area. Also that it's been home to many fires over the years. The red area is where Decker Canyon is located, and the proposed location of a 5,000 acre feet reservoir.

As I said at the top of the blog, this is a weighty subject, and if you want more details, I'll post links at the bottom of the page for you to explore. Including one to a facebook page where you can get details from people that better know the topic.

This empty field, at Grand and Santa Rosa Drive in Lakeland Village, is the location that John Pecora indicated would be the future location of the pumping station/powerhouse.

I'll paraphrase key notes I took during the meeting, there were many:
• Nevada Hydro is seeking to use a 2006 environmental report/document for the current application.
• Next phase is NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) which requires the applicant to work in harmony with the environment and the community.
• There are about 40 to 45 pump storage projects licensed in the USA. Only 12 of those are 500 Mega Watts or greater, like the LEAPS. Of those 12, only one is built by an existing lake — Michigan. The amount of water that project uses is insignificant to the level of the water in Lake Michigan.

FYI, according to Google, when asking how much water is in Lake Michigan, the answer came back as:
1,180 mi² 

When I asked the same question about Lake Elsinore, the answer was a bit smaller:
43.44 mi²

Basic math tells us that you could fit [at least] 27 Lake Elsinores into 1 Lake Michigan.

• Everyone one of those projects were built in areas where no people lived. Not one was built in a populated area.
• A pump storage project the size of LEAPS has never been licensed to this point. 

My apologies for the blurry photo. Apparently my Samsung doesn't do so well in low light conditions. This was shared at the meeting denoting the 12 500MW, or greater, pump storage projects in the USA.

• In order to build this project, they will be using a chemical called Rotenone to kill and remove all the fish. Probably remain without fish for at least a year.

• During construction of the reservoir and damn, truckloads of dirt will be hauled from from Santa Rosa Drive, up Ortega Highway, south on South Main Divide and dumped at Decker Canyon, from 6:00am to 3:00pm, at a clip of every six minutes. A total of 2.5 million cubic feet of dirt will be moved. 

• The approximate surface of the reservoir is said to be about 100-200 acres. Lake Elsinore is about 3,500 acres. In brief, the lake is shallow, and the reservoir will be deep.
• There will be a daily "tidal action" at the lake, which will expose a "muddy expanse of shoreline" for a period of time while the water is released down the hill.
• They have to maintain the lake at between 1240-1245 elevation. If they can't provide a contract showing they can get the necessary water, they cannot get a permit.
•  Contrary to rumors that the electricity will be heading to San Diego, the electricity will just be going to the grid.
• The entire project will be underground.
• Form letters don't work as well as personal letters/emails, and phone calls, that outline how the project will adversely affect you.
• The lake will be closed between one and two years during construction.
• The project will be crossing an active earthquake fault.

"Read the NEPA documents, on almost every page, there is a reference to harmonious with humans. Now everybody hates the EPA, everybody hates NEPA, but you have to remember, most of the [pump storage] projects that are licensed by FERC are in rural areas, there aren't a whole lot of people around. 

This (LEAPS) is different, this is in the middle of a heavily populated area with property owners around the lake." 

—John Pecora, February 26, 2018

Brief Tangent Time:
Many have heard me rail about the misnomer of this area being called "rural" and though it most certainly was at one point, that ship has sailed long ago.

From what I got from the meeting, John Pecora lives in a relatively remote area, but still can recognize that we are in a "highly populated area", which runs completely against the quaint notion that we are somehow rural at the same time.

Last comment

I was impressed with Mr. Pecora. He was articulate, knew his subject inside and out, had a good disposition, seemed to have a good sense of humor, was patient and delivered his points with a positive attitude. It was obvious that the local officials, that attended the meeting, respected what he had to say. 

It sure would be nice if [most of] the local activists in Wildomar had even a tenth of this man's class. Imagine what they could accomplish... but I digress.

These are contacts of the key figures, and John Pecora encouraged those impacted to
try calling them and be ready to explain your damages and what compensation you want.

Other facts
• The city of Lake Elsinore, the County of Riverside, EVMWD, Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez, US Representative Ken Clavert, among others, have all gone on the record being against this project. 
• The project is suing EVMWD.

Until I went up there to take some photos of Decker Canyon, I'd never used South Main Divide... not even when it was called Killen Trail. Always too busy just trying to get to work, or get back home. Wow, such great views to the east, of the lake, as much as the ones to the west, Decker Canyon.

After the hour long meeting, I went up to Lake Elsinore city councilmember Steve Manos and asked his take on the meeting, if the info seemed legit.

The information, seems to me, to be pretty solid. It was good information and I think that people should put in their requests for compensation [to Nevada Hydro] if it happens, but for us (the City of Lake Elsinore) we're not asking for compensation, we just don't want it (the project). 

—Steve Manos, Lake Elsinore City Council Member

This is the first page you see when you visit the LEAPS Hydro webpage. The gall to claim they will be providing "clean, reliable power" when it'll produce a net loss of 15% when the scores are tallied up. A link to this page is provided below.

If you'd like to join the Stop LEAPS Facebook page, here is the link.

Link to the Official Response (288 pages) by LEAPS Hydro, dated December 17, 2017

Link to LEAPS Hydro (the picture above)

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Sometimes it is not enough that we do our best; we must do what is required.
– Winston Churchill 

Yet again, Wildomar Rap has exceeded the requirements.

• Water Restriction Time: Stage II

I'm guessing that we all got one of these in the mail.

Click the image to enlarge it (or do that finger spreading thing if you have a smart phone).

The question is, did any of us read it?

Complaining about the local utilities is as American as apple pie, and for good reason. There is a long track record of shell game antics when it comes to those that provide basic necessities to us. We all remember ENRON and as for water, just google DWP Slush Fund and read about the ruckus that's been roiling LA for months not to mention the local LEAPS project that seemed more like a three stooges scheme than an environmentally sound idea.

Curly: We'll pump water up a hill at night, then send it downhill in the daytime.

Voila, we'll be millionaires!       Moe: Why you imbecile, I oughta brain you!

Thing is, this isn't about that end of things. It's about how much water we have here versus how many people we have wanting to use water here. California is a desert and we've never gotten much rain even in the "normal" years. However, we've basically doubled our population since the time I was in grade school, so something's gotta give.

I've always quibbled with the overuse of the term "drought"... unless we were actually in one, which California has been for some time now. Still, I remember times when we were coming out of a good rainy season, and people saying, "That doesn't mean the drought is over." Ummm, yes it did.

The thing I've never quibbled about is that we are in a constant state of having a water shortage. Unless historic weather patterns change, and we start getting rain like they do in the Pacific Northwest, we will have water shortage conditions as long as California exists with its ever-burgeoning population. So that makes it incumbent upon the residents to use the resource wisely.

If you look at the postcard from EVMWD you'll see things that are reasonable. Do you really need to bathe your driveway or sidewalks?

There is a water wise landscape workshop Saturday, September 13^th from 9am-12noon at EVMWD.

EVMWD also has a page with tips on how to save water indoors.

Speaking of saving water indoors... a couple of years ago EVWMD had a program that we took them up on. It was a toilet exchange deal.

My free toilet can beat up your toilet everyday of the week!

I'm sure we all love toilet talk [ewww] but seriously... the two we got from them have been great. Check that, one of the two failed after nearly a year and they replaced it right away. For all the jokes about having to flush 5 times when you have a lo-flow toilet, that simply hasn't been the case. It's one-and-done around here!

Oh, and one other thing about the model they installed (the Stealth). They are the taller type, and after being perched on high for the last couple of years, I giggle when I visit people that still use the short kiddie level toilets... but to each his own. ☺


Anyway, we have more people in this state than we have water, and for all the chest thumping some people like to do... that's what we Americans love to do whenever we get a chance, no matter what the topic is, but I digress... water is something we can't do without, and a laissez-faire attitude isn't going to cut it. I'm not so sure that I'm in favor of the fines that have been proposed. $500 for over watering is what has gotten people's attention.

According to EVWMD, this is a double no-no since the watering is after 6:00AM and the sidewalks are wet.

Quote from the USA TODAY:
Though Gov. Jerry Brown had urged a voluntary 20% reduction in water use, figures released last month indicated a drop of only 5% statewide for the year. But the State Water Resources Control Board on Tuesday updated the monthly survey from water districts to show that consumption had increased 1% in May compared with a year ago.

Well, Yeah... we have more people, so even if individuals find a way to use less water, we should expect that overall use will go up.

When we moved into Wildomar back in 2001, we had a ton of grass. Being on a corner, it wrapped all the way around the house. We first removed the side yard grass, then the front yard grass and now we are reduced to a patch in the backyard that is about 12x30. [The dogs have to have something to try and turn yellow, plus it only takes me about three and a half minutes to mow.]

Most of my neighbors still have full grass front yards. 

We enjoy the park-like views from our front windows... just glad the water bill isn't being sent to our address.

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As much as I'm a code enforcement type of guy, I'm not ready for any neighborhood water watch committees. People are paying for the water they use, and the billing is tiered. The more they use/waste, the steeper the bill. That seems like punishment enough at this point in time. Thing is, many people are stubborn folk and they ain't gonna let the gubment tell them how to live. So I'm thinking that voluntary restrictions will be short lived if we have another dry year.


Below is one of my favorite pictures. It was taken during the day we had heavy rains back at the end of February. I'm thinking that this person doesn't read his/her water bill very closely.

♪ Sprinklers in the rain... (sing it as Gene Kelly would).

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