According to the 2024 Integrated Water Management Plan, our current supply and storage fall short if we measure capacity by our ability to survive a historic drought. Securing our water supply must precede new housing development. In a severe drought, we could be prohibited from drawing any water from the Cosumnes River for an entire year. Even with aggressive conservation efforts, the community risks running out of water before Lake Chesbro and Lake Calero reservoirs can refill. We must develop a clear, actionable drought response plan while expanding our water access and storage through cost-effective, community-approved solutions.

As a resident of the new Riverview/Haven development in Rancho Murieta South, I appreciate wanting to give buyers options to join our exceptional community beyond just resale homes. The Rancho Murieta CSD has collected water augmentation funds from new home developers and should make every effort to use those funds to expand our water capacity. The RMCSD Board should thoroughly explore augmentation options, including drilling groundwater wells and converting Lake Clementia into a drinking water source or an alternative supply to offset potable water use. By collaborating with our neighbors, downstream water users, developers, and state and local officials, our community can jointly choose a path forward with a clear understanding of costs, timelines, and water reliability.  If these additional water supplies are sufficient, would I support limited development—funded first by dedicated developer fees, other upfront developer support, available grants, and only then supplemented by community funds, if approved by the community.

Every gallon of water we conserve is a gallon we don't have to find, permit, and fund at a premium. I want to shift our focus toward proactive community conservation by introducing financial incentives and highlighting successful water-saving models already working in our neighborhoods. With the recent tier adjustments making conservation more economically practical for residents, we have a unique opportunity. Saving water won't fix our supply challenges overnight, but it immediately builds greater water security and protects our budget from the soaring costs of developing entirely new water sources.

Past management of operations and reserves has left our water and sewer infrastructure severely underfunded. Fortunately, the current board and staff have done diligent work to steady our financial ship by completing overdue audits and resolving issues from the Grand Jury report. With the final audits scheduled for completion this year and the onboarding of new General and Operations Managers, I will focus my efforts on strict financial responsibility. My priority will be to build our reserves back up to the levels required to safely maintain and repair our aging infrastructure.

True accountability means ensuring all board deliberations and decisions are fully transparent, while also delivering a clear strategic vision for our community. Without completed studies, past boards have struggled to build a long-term roadmap for our water resources. Incomplete initiatives like the 2024 Integrated Water Management Plan and the 2026 Water Vision Task Force have stalled our planning. Finished studies provide us with real strategic options, but it is our job as a board to bring those roadmaps directly to the community. From security and water augmentation to utility rates, the public always deserves the final say.