Hey, wake up people, low end housing in Los Osos has a foreclosure rate four times higher than Cayucos. There are 85 foreclosures in Los Osos as of this Sunday on Trulia and only 20 in Cayucos. With the sewer already overpriced, more downward pressure on home prices on LO related to the sewer costs will impact the Los Osos middle class by reducing their property values.
And forget differing your taxes if you're a senior. The program is closed down. From the State website:
"On February 20, 2009, the Governor signed signed Senate Bill X3 8 (Chapter 4, Statutes of 2009), which immediately suspends the Senior Citizens' Property Tax Deferral Program. This legislation prohibits the filing of claims for property tax postponement and prohibits the Controller from accepting claims filed after February 20, 2009. " If you're a senior on a fixed income, you will be taxed out of your home. The County will foreclose on your property.
Don't believe me? Try here.....
http://www.sco.ca.gov/ardtax_prop_tax_postponement.html
Meanwhile the County of San Luis Obispo continues to abuse California tax law protections built into the State Constitution and mislead home owner's about the real cost of the LOWWP. How you may ask is the heat being turned up on the tax "FROG" here? Well here's my bullet points:
- I and I (infiltration) is not a "special benefit" to your property yet you are being charged for the 300,000 GPD overcapacity or redundancy built into the system. I and I is stormwater runoff, period. It is a general benefit. End of story. (HOWARD JARVIS TAXPAYERS ASSOCIATION et. al., Plaintiffs and CITY OF SALINAS Appellants, H022665 Monterey County v. Super. Ct. No. M45873)
- Entirely fake "hearsay" figures on STEP. Its pricing and impacts and comparison. Why did they not use the Ripley report? That stated a figure 1/3 less than the engineer's report.
- Omitted from STEP comparison was that many existing septic tanks installed after 1975 can be used for STEP collection using a secondary vault after the existing septic tank. Calculations show that gravity pipe leakage is equivalent to a three inch drop in water in your septic tank each day due to leakage. Savings 5000.00 per household. No torn up yard. Compare that to the scare tactic flyer that went out about step footprints on your property.
- Bait and switch the 218 vote, and I quote the addendum to engineers report on special benefits:
"In the current project selection strategy, the STEP and gravity alternatives would compete through the construction bidding phase using a competitive bid, design/build, and/or build/own/operate/transfer process. " (Dean Benedix P.E., Assessment Engineer of Work)
We voted on the project given this assumption. This option was taken away from us. IS THE 218 VOTE VOIDABLE UNTIL IT MEETS THIS EXPECTATION? - No credit given for existing on site treatment. You are already are treating sewage. Here's the figures from the flow and loads report:
"Table 10 Projected Characteristics of Wastewater,
Gravity Collection System average loading: BOD mg/L 340, Suspended Solids mg/L 390, Total Nitrogen mg/L 56 58 Now compare that to STEP collection: BOD mg/L 140 , Suspended Solids mg/L 80, Total Nitrogen mg/L 56"
Primary treatment is of no benefit to us. Septic tanks are a viable on site component that is not subject to the RWCQB's fines. The discharge after treatment is of the RWQCB's wrath.
Primary treatment is therefore a general benefit. If the County wants to remove this processing is needs to do so at their expense. It is a working component. - County advisory vote $24,000 per property. Ripley estimate $16,000 per property. Ripley using existing septic tanks- $10,000 per property! Ripley report claims existing tanks can be used after testing. Cost of test $600.00.
- Greywater reductions reduce the special benefit by 20% yet we are given no credit in the assessors report. New greywater emergency law makes the 218 assesment questionable.
STEVE
