Dear Members of the Local Media

To: sduerr@thetribunenews.com, bmorem@thetribunenews.com, dsneed@thetribunenews.com, econnolly@newtimesslo.com, shredder@newtimesslo.com, george@calcoastnews.com, velie@calcoastnews.com, news@ksby.com, news@kcoy.com, davecongalton@edbroadcasters.com, news@tolosapress.com
Subject: Possible Story Idea

Dear members of the local media,

I hope you are all having a nice holiday season.

The reason I'm writing to you, is because, unless I missed it, I haven't seen any media coverage on what happened with the former "Tri-W" sewer project that was proposed by the Los Osos CSD from 2000 - 2005.

In case you don't remember (and, apparently, you don't), the Tri-W sewer project was to include a sewer plant in the middle of Los Osos, so it was an extremely unpopular and controversial project. However, despite years and years of community opposition to the mid-town sewer plant, the LOCSD still spent some $25 million and five years on its development.

And, in 2005, just one month before a recall election that would ultimately stop the project, the CSD actually began construction of the project by removing (with heavy equipment) the vegetation (including many trees) at the "Environmentally Sensitive" Tri-W site.

The project was also the subject of numerous State and Federal meetings over those five years, at an unknown, but presumably significant cost to California and U.S. taxpayers.

At the time, it seemed like the proposed $160 million Tri-W sewer project was kind of a big deal (or, at least I thought it was... maybe I'm wrong, although the Los Osos sewer story was selected the #1 story of the year in 2005 by Tribune readers.)

However, now that the County of SLO has control over the project, and after some three years and $7 million worth of analysis by the County, the Tri-W project didn't even come close to making the County's short list of viable project alternatives for Los Osos, and Supervisors recently approved a project (with a sewer plant located out of town, downwind) that is vastly different than the LOCSD's project... that the District spent $25 million and five years developing.

Furthermore, in a June 2009 letter to the California Coastal Commission, County staff writes, "The Project team, given the clear social infeasibility issue associated with Mid Town (Tri-W site) and the infeasible status of the LOCSD disposal plan (for their Tri-W project), believes that if either of those options are deemed by decision-makers to be the best solution for Los Osos, then serious consideration should be given by the Board to adopt a due diligence resolution and not pursue Project implementation."

And, in an official community survey conducted by County officials in 2009, it reads:

"Only (9-percent) of (Prohibition Zone) respondents chose the mid-town (Tri-W) location (as their preference for the treatment facility)."

So, when all of that is taken into consideration, it just seems like this story is a little newsworthy, and timely:

Why did the 2000 - 2005 LOCSD spend five years and $25 million designing a wildly unpopular sewer system that included an industrial sewer plant in the middle of town, and then began ripping up "Environmentally Sensitive Habitat" in an effort to build that project, yet when that project came under the scrutiny County officials, it didn't even come close to making the short list of viable projects, and the "Project Team" called it technically and socially "infeasible?"

So, I guess my question for the local media is: What happened?

Why did the LOCSD spend $25 million and five years on a wildly unpopular, "infeasible" project, that didn't even come close to being considered by County staff (and Supervisors) as the preferred project in 2009?

Will you be covering that story?

It seems newsworthy... at least to me.

If you have any questions, please just ask. I'm pretty sure I'd be able to assist in your research.

Thank you for your time,
Ron

###