The following is a column submitted by Mendocino County 3rd District Supervisor John Haschak. The opinions expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the Mendocino Voice.
As the saying goes, we are always one dry winter away from drought. Kudos to the Mendocino County Fire Safe Council for facilitating the water tank program. They delivered close to 200 free water tanks to more than a dozen Firewise Communities, Neighborhood Fire Safe Councils, and fire departments throughout the county. Overall, the program, through the state Department of Water Resources, provided 450 water tanks in Mendocino County.
Speaking of water, there has certainly been a weird twist to the Potter Valley Project. While we want local control over many issues, especially one as critical as water, the federal government has stepped in and found a water agency in Southern California that is interested in taking over the dams. This comes after years of negotiations and compromises throughout the North Coast to make sure that we have sustainable water after PG&E decommissions the dams. PG&E doesn’t want the dams because of liability of dam failure and losing money, not a good combination for a profit-driven corporation.
I think this flirtation with the Elsinore Water District is a distraction that could only do us wrong. They either want the water or want to make money with the water. As the coalition partners have said repeatedly, the Round Valley Indian Tribes have the senior water rights, and the last thing we need is an outside entity attempting to take control of the water. The Inland Water and Power Commission’s goal is “to secure a reliable water future with supply and storage solutions we can control and deliver.” The Board of Supervisors has approved a resolution supporting the IWPC’s goals, thus this new scenario seems counter to securing “a reliable water future.”
There has been discussion at both the Board level and at the General Government Committee meetings about the cannabis tax. The Auditor/Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector says that the current structure is very time-consuming and unreliable. Out of the 600 or so permits, 200 owe back taxes. We approved tying a cannabis cultivation license with having taxes paid up to date. With that in place, we are looking at changing the way those taxes are paid. This will treat cannabis like other agricultural crops, taxed on the amount of gross receipts.
With election season here, we have had visits from our State Senator Mike McGuire in Willits and State Assemblymember Chris Rogers in Laytonville. These sessions have been informative and a powerful way for we, the people, to have conversations with our state representatives.
There will be a Talk with the Supervisor on Thursday, May 28, from 10-11 a.m. at Brickhouse Coffee in Willits. You can always contact me at haschakj@mendocinocounty.gov or call 707-972-4214.