Poll Could Gauge Support for Stormwater Tax

By Olin Ericksen
Staff Writer

March 7 -- As local officials await poll results next week to see if Santa Monicans would be willing to pay millions more for increased stormwater management, the City may soon be gaining an unlikely partner in fighting pollution.

City Council members in the inland city of Calabasas have begun signaling they may be interested in splitting the costs of a $25,000 telephone poll seen as a precursor to a possible ballot measure or tax to help clean up storm water before it goes untreated into the struggling Santa Monica Bay.

"Obviously, Santa Monica voters don't want to be the only ones to shoulder the burden... so the willingness of Calabasas to do something (about stormwater runoff) is very important," said Craig Perkins, the City's Environmental and Public works director.

Santa Monica already spends $30 million on water and sewer treatment, as well as $1.5 million on storm water treatment, Perkins said.

If next week's poll results of 450 Santa Monicans prove positive, it may lay the groundwork for an April meeting with Santa Monica City Council members to initiate a November bond ballot or tax for an additional $2.9 million for stormwater management in Santa Monica, Perkins said.

If a similar poll in Calabasas were performed, it may lead to a similar bond measure or tax in their area, signaling that the inland City may be willing to expand its role in tackling stormwater pollution, Perkins said.

"Besides Santa Monica and Los Angeles, Calabasas is the only city that actually implements storm water projects," said Perkins, adding that it's on a much more limited scale than Santa Monica.

With a half billion dollars approved under Proposition O of by Los Angeles County voters last year, Santa Monica will certainly not be on its own fighting water pollution, Perkins said.

However, for inland cities to move forward with stormwater projects is a positive sign, he added. Stormwater protections "are a much tougher sell if your city is not right up against a beach," Perkins said.

The initiative -- backed by Calabasas Mayor Barry Groveman, who is currently running for State Assembly in a district that includes Santa Monica -- would be the first step in getting surrounding cities such as Augora Hills involved, Groveman said.

The timing of the discussion is also important, since talks are underway among several cities and groups -- even those that oppose stormwater treatment because of costs -- under the umbrella of the American Society of Engineers.

"The bottom line is that all the opposition would melt away if enough cities" supported financial backing at the municipal level, Perkins said.