On September 24th, the AWA Board voted to notice their intent to form a Mello-Roos special tax assessment district to pay for the Gravity Supply Line (GSL). However, AWA did not give the required notice for the October 25th hearing date, and the Board did not hold the hearing as planned.

On October 11th, consultant SCI reported to the Board that several properties were mistakenly left out of the Community Facilities District (CFD) boundaries. SCI also discussed changing the tax rate method of apportionment approved by the board just two weeks earlier. The consultant suggested removing some unimproved properties and reducing the tax on other unimproved properties. The reduction in tax to unimproved properties will require increasing the tax rate to all other properties.

If AWA changes the tax rates, AWA will again need to schedule a meeting to notice the intent to form the CFD. The Board is required to hold a hearing at least 30 days after passing a resolution of intent. If AWA does this, we will keep you posted and inform you where to find protest forms.

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While discussing changes to the Upcountry CFD, the public pointed out that the rate notice slated to go out the next day had information about the CFD that may change.

Board secretary Cris Thompson reported that the notices had been printed, but not mailed, thus the mailing of an inaccurate rate increase notice had been averted. However, 7,000 copies of the 6-page notice, the envelope, and possibly the postage are now slated for the recycle bin because the rate hearing date on the notice is now obsolete. The rate notices will need to be reprinted, stuffed into envelopes and stamped at ratepayer expense.

AWA’s Policy Committee, including directors Rich Farrington and Gary Thomas, sent their recommendations for new meeting decorum policy to the Board. The policy contained restrictions that would not allow handing out literature or displaying signs during the meeting. Members of the public complained that the policy was restricting first amendment constitutional rights to free speech.

Two board members felt that the current policy did not need to be changed. However, director Farrington persisted in attempting to convince other board members that the changes were needed to restore order in the board room.

The policy changes were sent back to Farrington and Thomas for further committee review.