Santa Clarita Water Co

City officials here won't be getting into the water business. By a unanimous 5-0 vote, City Council members halted efforts to buy the Santa Clarita Water Co. on Tuesday, opening the way for the company to be bought by a wholesale water supplier in Castaic. Some city officials had argued that buying the water company would give the city more control over growth and development. The Santa Clarita Water Co. serves about 20,000 of the city's 50,000 water connections.

A Superior Court judge threw out a lawsuit Wednesday challenging the Castaic Lake Water Agency's right to buy a retail water company. The plaintiffs, including a Santa Clarita city councilwoman, argued that state law prohibits the Castaic Lake Water Agency, a water wholesaler, from buying and operating the Santa Clarita Water Co., a water retailer.

Alleging that the Santa Clarita Water Co. squandered money on high pay and phantom employees, state utilities officials have recommended that the company be ordered to cut prices 20% to compensate its customers, according to an internal PUC report. The PUC's Office of Rate Payers Advocates said the water company, which serves about 20,000 customers in the Canyon Country and Saugus areas, pays exorbitant salaries and benefits, and some employees have "no-show" jobs.

The Castaic Lake Water Agency bought the privately held Santa Clarita Water Co. from the Bonelli family for $63 million Friday, despite a lawsuit challenging the acquisition. The purchase will broaden the authority of the agency, which as a wholesaler in the Santa Clarita Valley plays a key role in determining future growth for the region. The Santa Clarita Water Co. serves about 21,000 residential and business customers, mostly in Saugus and Canyon Country.

The leaders of the state agency that supplies water to the Santa Clarita Valley voted Wednesday night to back the Santa Clarita Water Co. in its fight against a proposal by state utilities officials to compel the company to cut prices 20%. The board of directors of the Castaic Lake Water Agency voted to file as an "intervenor" with the state Public Utilities Commission, which is deciding whether to order the Santa Clarita company to cut its prices.

A Superior Court judge threw out a lawsuit Wednesday challenging the Castaic Lake Water Agency's right to buy a retail water company. The plaintiffs, including a Santa Clarita city councilwoman, argued that state law prohibits the Castaic Lake Water Agency, a water wholesaler, from buying and operating the Santa Clarita Water Co., a water retailer.

A Senate committee on Monday killed a bill that would have allowed the publicly funded Castaic Lake Water Agency to buy a private water company, a proposal opponents say was intended to benefit the Santa Clarita Valley's biggest developer. Backers denied its benefit to developers, saying it simply makes good planning sense to acquire water supplies at a time of lingering drought.

A decision on whether the state Public Utilities Commission should allow the Santa Clarita Water Co. a slight price increase, after first recommending a 20% price cut, was put off Tuesday to allow the water company's customers time to play a role in the proceedings. State administrative law Judge Orville Wright listened to three of the water company's customers at a public hearing Tuesday and agreed that they should have a say in the decision.

City engineers will seek advice tonight from North Oaks residents about how to repair flood damage in their neighborhood and prevent it from happening again. * The area--in Santa Clarita's Canyon Country community--flooded in April, 1993, when underground streams swelled from winter rains that soaked the region two months earlier. Water bubbled up onto lawns, flowed down sidewalks and seeped into basements with such force that residents first believed that a water main had burst.

Alleging that the Santa Clarita Water Co. squandered money on high pay and phantom employees, state utilities officials have recommended that the company be ordered to cut prices 20% to compensate its customers, according to an internal Public Utilities Commission report. The PUC's Office of Rate Payers Advocates said the water company, which serves about 20,000 customers in the Canyon Country and Saugus areas, pays exorbitant salaries and benefits, and some employees have "no-show" jobs.

A decision on whether the state Public Utilities Commission should allow the Santa Clarita Water Co. a slight price increase, after first recommending a 20% price cut, was put off Tuesday to allow the water company's customers time to play a role in the proceedings. State administrative law Judge Orville Wright listened to three of the water company's customers at a public hearing Tuesday and agreed that they should have a say in the decision.

The leaders of the state agency that supplies water to the Santa Clarita Valley voted Wednesday night to back the Santa Clarita Water Co. in its fight against a proposal by state utilities officials to compel the company to cut prices 20%. The board of directors of the Castaic Lake Water Agency voted to file as an "intervenor" with the state Public Utilities Commission, which is deciding whether to order the Santa Clarita company to cut its prices.

Alleging that the Santa Clarita Water Co. squandered money on high pay and phantom employees, state utilities officials have recommended that the company be ordered to cut prices 20% to compensate its customers, according to an internal Public Utilities Commission report. The PUC's Office of Rate Payers Advocates said the water company, which serves about 20,000 customers in the Canyon Country and Saugus areas, pays exorbitant salaries and benefits, and some employees have "no-show" jobs.

Alleging that the Santa Clarita Water Co. squandered money on high pay and phantom employees, state utilities officials have recommended that the company be ordered to cut prices 20% to compensate its customers, according to an internal PUC report. The PUC's Office of Rate Payers Advocates said the water company, which serves about 20,000 customers in the Canyon Country and Saugus areas, pays exorbitant salaries and benefits, and some employees have "no-show" jobs.

City engineers will seek advice tonight from North Oaks residents about how to repair flood damage in their neighborhood and prevent it from happening again. * The area--in Santa Clarita's Canyon Country community--flooded in April, 1993, when underground streams swelled from winter rains that soaked the region two months earlier. Water bubbled up onto lawns, flowed down sidewalks and seeped into basements with such force that residents first believed that a water main had burst.

A Senate committee on Monday killed a bill that would have allowed the publicly funded Castaic Lake Water Agency to buy a private water company, a proposal opponents say was intended to benefit the Santa Clarita Valley's biggest developer. Backers denied its benefit to developers, saying it simply makes good planning sense to acquire water supplies at a time of lingering drought.

The Castaic Lake Water Agency bought the privately held Santa Clarita Water Co. from the Bonelli family for $63 million Friday, despite a lawsuit challenging the acquisition. The purchase will broaden the authority of the agency, which as a wholesaler in the Santa Clarita Valley plays a key role in determining future growth for the region. The Santa Clarita Water Co. serves about 21,000 residential and business customers, mostly in Saugus and Canyon Country.

Re "State Officials Urge 20% Price Cut for Water Agency," Dec. 5. The management of the Santa Clarita Water Co. should be terminated. If [William J.] Manetta, the overpaid president of Santa Clarita Water, were an elected official, we could recall his greedy behind. Manetta does in fact sit on the Castaic Lake Water Agency board, where he votes to increase our taxes, and is protected in an almost incestuous relationship by the majority of that agency board. We have taxation without representation!

City officials here won't be getting into the water business. By a unanimous 5-0 vote, City Council members halted efforts to buy the Santa Clarita Water Co. on Tuesday, opening the way for the company to be bought by a wholesale water supplier in Castaic. Some city officials had argued that buying the water company would give the city more control over growth and development. The Santa Clarita Water Co. serves about 20,000 of the city's 50,000 water connections.