Yosemite West Property & Homeowners, Inc.

Yosemite West Wastewater Treatment Facility

Read about the sewer system in Yosemite West and the history leading up to the current sewer repair project.

Assessment Ballot Results on Sewer Bond Vote, May 4, 2004

The Mariposa County Clerk presented the official results of the Yosemite West Wastewater Treatment Upgrade Assessment Vote to the Mariposa County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, May 4, 2004 as follows.

Jim Petropulos, Director of Mariposa County Public Works Department is mailing a newsletter to all Yosemite West property and home owners the week of March 29, 2004. This newsletter will further detail project funding and financing. The project will be open to bids starting April 23, 2004. Please contact Jim Petropulos at any time with your questions or concerns.

The Clerk of the Board of Supervisors for Mariposa County mailed the Notice of Proposed New Assessments and Assessment Ballot for the Yosemite West Wastewater Facilities Project to property owners the second week of March 2004.

Enclosed with the assessment ballot is a Summary of the Method of the Levy of the Assessments. This document is available to download: page 1, and page 2.

Important dates to note are:

• April 27, 2004 - Public Hearing
• April 28, 2004 - Public Ballot Tabulation
• May 4, 2004 - Ballot Results Reported to Board of Supervisors

Summary of Sewer Failure

The Yosemite West sewer system suffered a major failure in May 1998 with effluent surfacing from the over-saturated leach field and flowing downslope towards, but not reaching Indian Creek, a tributary of the Merced River. The California Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) and the Mariposa County Health Department were immediately notified, as required by law. The Mariposa County Board of Supervisors passed an emergency ordinance barring any further sewer hook-ups in Yosemite West pending resolution of the sewer problem. The RWQCB subsequently issued a Cease and Desist Order prohibiting any further surface releases of effluent from the leach field, and requiring preparation and implementation of a repair program to ensure future compliance.

Emergency temporary improvements were implemented, including construction of a large new aeration pond, in order to bring the system into compliance. Approximately $1 million was spent to make these improvements, financed by a loan from Mariposa County to the Yosemite West Maintenance District.

Engineering Solution for Sewer Repair

In June 2001, the Mariposa County Board of Supervisors selected the engineering solution for the more permanent re-building of the Yosemite West sewer treatment and effluent disposal system, and also authorized the Mariposa County Public Works Department to proceed with detailed engineering specifications.

The current proposal will make use of the existing sewer site plus the adjacent parcel to which the Yosemite West Maintenance District has access. No new land needs to be acquired. The existing treatment facilities would be re-conditioned and improved. Effluent would be disposed of via a new system of underground drip emitters. The emitters would be buried about one-foot deep (which is below the winter frost line) and the effluent dispersed by the emitters should not reach the surface. The existing leach field would be mothballed, and only used for emergency back-up.

Financing the Sewer Repair: Proposition 218

To finance the project, a loan will (hopefully) be received from the federal government. To repay the loan, each Yosemite West parcel will be assessed a sum yet to be determined. California law (Proposition 218) requires that a vote be taken in order to approve or disapprove these assessments for the sewer improvements. The so-called "Prop. 218" votes will be weighted by the assessments (i.e., lots with larger assessments will have a proportionately greater vote), and a majority of the returned ballots will decided whether the project (including loan and assessment) will go forward.

Cost Allocation Methodology: Equivalent Development Units (EDUs)

The cost allocation methodology involves assigning "equivalent development units" or "EDUs" to each lot, whether improved or unimproved, vacant or occupied. The total project cost will be divided by the total number of EDUs, and then costs assigned to individual lots. The process is fairly complicated, but in a nutshell:

• Each developed lot with a standard-sized house of three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen and a laundry room will be assigned one EDU. Larger houses and duplexes will be assessed a higher amount. [Newsletter editor notes that it appears that about 21 of the 114 developed lots in Yosemite West could be assigned more than one EDU.]
• Each undeveloped lot would be assessed one EDU. A stated goal is to assure people building in the future that there will be sufficient capacity for a standard-sized house (three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen and a laundry room).
• The Yosemite West Condominiums will collectively be assessed about 36 EDUs, with individual condominium assessments varying due to size differences. However, all of the condominium units will be assessed at less than one EDU.

Using these figures, there will be a total of about 350 EDUs:

• 294 EDUs - 1 EDU each for 114 improved lots and 180 unimproved lots
• 36 EDUs for Yosemite West Condominiums
• 20 EDUs assigned to presently existing houses that are larger than the standard-sized house defined above.

Some additional capacity (approximately 10,000 gallons/day) will be separately funded by Mariposa County. This "reserve" will be available for future use.

Upcoming Proposition 218 Vote: Consequences of "Yes" and "No" Votes

YWPHI has decided not to take any formal position on the upcoming Proposition 218 vote. It will not recommend that Yosemite West residents, home and lot owners, vote for or against Mariposa County's proposal. Rather, YWPHI will leave that determination to individuals. However, the following information is being provided to better inform the community:

• Each property owner will have a vote.
• Each property owner will vote separately for each property that they own. Thus, if someone owns two lots, they will vote separately will respect to each lot.
• Ballots will be weighted by relative EDU assessment.
• It will be a "Yes" or "No" vote. Only ballots that are actually returned will be counted, and the majority of returned ballots will decide the issue.
• There will be a 45-day period in which to return ballots.
• Property owners who have recently moved should contact the Mariposa County Public Works Department to assure that their ballots are sent to the appropriate address.
• If the project is approved, the assessment on a property can either (1) be paid in a lump sum, or (2) be paid over time. If an owner elects to pay over time, a lien (similar to a tax lien) will be placed on the property.

Consequences of a "Yes" Vote

• The sewer repair project will go forward.
• The building moratorium will be lifted.
• Mariposa County will likely not seek to collect from the Yosemite West Maintenance District the $1 million that they spent on emergency repairs since the moratorium began.
• All properties will receive an assessment based on their assigned EDUs (1 EDU = $9,996.21) to fund the estimated $3.521 million required for these repairs.

Consequences of a "No" Vote

• The sewer repair project will not go forward.
• The building moratorium will likely continue.
• The reaction of Mariposa County to a "No" vote is not known. Mariposa County will likely seek to recover from existing users (not vacant lot owners) the $1 million that they spent on emergency repairs since the moratorium began. It would likely do that through higher usage fees.
• The reaction of the RWQCB to a "No" vote is not known. It may require Mariposa County to make certain limited improvements to the sewer facility.

Environmental Studies

The initial environmental study for the Yosemite West wastewater treatment upgrade project has been completed. Public agencies had until September 3, 2002 to provide written comments and objections on the study.

Site Map Copyright text © Yosemite West Property & Homeowners, Inc. 2003-2012, Copyright photographs © John Mock 2004-2012. All rights reserved. Unauthorized redistribution of this document is prohibited. Updated February 7, 2012.