Mayor Ray Luna makes two trips centered on new wastewater treatment plant
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula News
Published: May 02, 2007
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula Times
Mayor Ray Luna is on his second trip in as many weeks related to the replacement of the city’s aging wastewater treatment plant. Luna traveled to Sacramento last week and met with the city’s lobbyist, as well as representatives of several elected officials. This week he has been in Arizona touring wastewater treatment plants of an Arizona contractor.
“I want to save our citizens money,” Luna said in a telephone interview. “That’s why I traveled to Sacramento,” to urge passage of a bill crafted by Assemblywoman Audra Strickland that would bring some relief to cash-strapped cities that need to replace wastewater treatment plants.
Luna was set to offer testimony on the importance of passing AB 1664 so that “cities such as ourselves who are being mandated” by the state to meet ever-tightening wastewater discharge guidelines can find some financial help. “California has the strongest requirements in the country,” said Luna, who spent three days in the state Capital urging that lawmakers consider the bill that would allow cities to have preference to state water bonds to replace outdated plants.
Lobbyist Kristi Foy and Luna found that more state funding is available for wastewater plants that include a recycling component. “That’s going to be very important when we start heading that way,” said Luna.
Cost savings on the estimated $80 million replacement treatment plant has been the focus of Luna’s trip to Arizona, where he has been traveling facilities with Steve Owens of Perk, Inc., a treatment plant construction company. “Perk has already said they could build our plant for as little as $35 million, any system that we want.”
The city’s preferred technology is MBR, “more expensive to run power-wise” noted Luna, “however, that is the Council’s wishes to go with the MBR.”
Luna first met with Perk officials on Monday, although a company representative had approached him earlier this year at the presentation of Vertreat technology to the Council. During a break in the meeting, a “gentleman gave me his card and asked if I was interested in seeing his plant and here I am,” noted Luna.
Red Rock has been one stop on the tour, a “brand new city” where homes are being built “right next to the wastewater plant, an odorless plant.” Luna said he also toured a second plant in Palm Valley, “where I have a home... I never even noticed the plant. This is a learning experience for me. I’m not an expert, our staff and consultants are, but I’m looking to see what options are available for us and have hands-on information so I can make decisions down the road.”
Luna said that Perk has a “different” lower cost design that requires less space. “The footprint is a lot smaller; also the cost is a lot smaller. My biggest concern is always going to be the cost. I’m trying to save our citizens money for the best technology out there,” he noted.
Luna will ask for a conceptual design report so “the Council can make a decision.... And I want to be informed about all my options and want to look further” into same.
