Who is Running Yuba Co?

by Lou Binninger

The recent vote by Yuba County Supervisors to amend their water runoff ordinance makes one wonder (Abe and Vasquez - no / Griego, Stocker, Nicoletti-yes). Who is in charge of the county -- the staff, the state and federal government, or the supervisors?

And, did Griego, Nicoletti and Stocker even read the document? Since it makes lawbreakers out of most of their constituents, maybe these three no longer represent them, but are gofers for the federal zombies.
If the supervisors are not in charge, then why not just keep the staff to bow to state and federal directives, pay the bills and then save the plush salaries, benefits and retirement packages supervisors vote for themselves?

Prior to supervisors even voting, Public Works hired the first employee to carry out enforcement of the yet nonexistent law. What if the board rejected the ordinance? Is the tail wagging the dog here? Were Public Works representatives Kevin Mallen and Mike Lee psychic, out of order or did they just forget who employs them?

Public Works says the new hire will cost taxpayers $150,000-$200,000 annually. Vasquez and Abe asked that the vote be postponed till next year to allow more time to review the impact and what they felt were grossly underestimated cost projections. Vasquez thinks the enforcement will cost ten times this estimate.

Recently, during the marijuana debate, staff bemoaned the lack of funding to perform code enforcement on illegal grower plots. One week the county is code-enforcement-poor and the next week there is a hiring windfall.

Much talk has focused on the nonprofit and funeral carwash fundraisers this law makes illegal. And, the business owner who is helping the nonprofit is also liable. Oddly, all who might frequent the event could wash that same car at home with no penalty.

This law goes way beyond fundraisers. It uses water to surrender control of our resources to outsiders. Losing your right to wash your car or even have a car will come later.

The ordinance is long, detailed and obnoxious. Here are more highlights. Every homeowner must keep the sidewalk clean and no ‘sweepings from the sidewalk’ may enter the gutter, roadway or storm drain system. No waters containing pollutants (including dirt) can run into ditches, gutters or roadways.

No water containing animal waste presumably from stalls/ kennels or driveways may flow to drainage ditches, gutters etc.

And, Olivehurst, Linda and rural Yuba County read this carefully. “No person shall throw, deposit, leave, maintain, keep, or permit to be thrown, deposited, left, or maintained in or upon any public or private property, driveway, parking area, street, or alley, sidewalk, component of the storm drain system, or waters of the state, any refuse, rubbish, garbage, litter, or other discarded or abandoned objects, ordinances, and accumulations, so that the same may cause or contribute to pollution.” According to this section most of the county is currently in violation.

Businesses must formulate a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan and document employee training. Businesses and property owners will be charged with all manner of enforcement proceedings. Enforcement officers can enter all properties at will. The document has plenty to say about contractors. People with ponds, streams and rivulets need to read the restrictions.

Fines ranging from $500 for infractions to $2,000 for a violation can also include county jail time. Civil penalties can reach $250,000.

Supervisors are doing none of us a favor by agreeing to federal and state over-reach and then funding boots on the ground to punish constituents.

We do not need this pollution law. Our tap water is drinkable and our waterways clean. This is about citizens losing money, liberty and privacy.