September
2008 | By Garry Shirts
Since
March 2006, I and a
group of volunteers
have been working to
get the utility poles
undergrounded in the
Hills area. We've tried
hard to keep everyone
informed of the progress
of the project through
newsletters, public
meetings and a website.
But since it's a long
and complicated process,
residents still have
questions. Below are
answers to the most
frequently asked questions.
1.
What are the benefits
of this project and
why should I support
it?
There
are several important
benefits to Del Mar
homeowners and the community
at large. In addition
to the obvious aesthetic
benefits of undergrounding
utilities, this project
will result in increased
reliability and fewer
power outages of our
utilities. In addition,
a high percentage of
fires -- including the
catastrophic wildfires
of last October that
scorched more than 368,000
acres and destroyed
the homes of more than
1,500 San Diego County
residents -- are caused
by sparking utility
lines. Undergrounding
our utilities will increase
our levels of fire safety
and reduce the likelihood
of downed utility lines
causing such disastrous
fires.
2.
How much will it cost
me and when will I
know?
Naturally,
everyone is interested
in knowing how much
it will cost them. If
the project is completed
on schedule, homeowners
will know the amount
of their assessment
by the end of January
2009. The vote will
be scheduled for two
months after the proposed
assessments are mailed.
If the project passes,
a property-tax district
will be formed. The
property-tax assessment
may be paid in a lump
sum or spread over 20
years. The interest
rate will be set by
the city council on
the advice of bond attorneys.
If
the project is passed,
each of the homeowners
who have an overhead
connection to the power
line in the assessment
district will be required
to dig a trench from
their electric panel
box to the connection
in the street. The
cost of this effort
is expected to average
$2000. It may be more
or less depending on
the length and difficulty
of digging the trench,
whether the electrical
connection will need
to be updated to make
a safe connection and
how much of the work
the homeowners do themselves.
3.
Who determines how
much my assessment
will be?
State
law requires that the
assessment be based
on the benefit to the
homeowner and be developed
and conducted by licensed
assessment engineers.
The Del Mar City council
approved the formula
developed by the PBS&J
engineering firm as
part of the Ocean Pines
undergrounding project
and modified it slightly
for the Del Mar North
Hills Undergrounding
Project.
4.
Who will vote?
Every
homeowner in the proposed
district will be eligible
to vote. The vote will
be conducted by the
City of Del Mar. Each
homeowner will have
a vote in proportion
to the size of his or
her assessment. A committee
of volunteers is working
to establish alternative
financing for elderly
persons on fixed incomes.
5.
What are the area
boundaries?
For
a map of the areas within
the project and more
in depth answers to
questions about financing,
construction, and voting,
please visit our website
at http:www//dmnhup.com or
call me (755-3817),
Sharon Hilliard, (481-7200)
the coordinator of the
volunteers for area
1 and assistant coordinator
of the entire project, Ken
Paulovich (755-0503)
the coordinator of the
volunteers for area
2 or Karen Powell (755-8803)
the coordinator for
Area 1.
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