The Essential Services Building: A Necessary Investment

by Thomas Bollay, President and Tom Kern, Treasurer of the Montecito Sanitary District Board.

For others, particularly our specialized workers who have tolerated inadequate facilities for years, the process has taken far too long.

We write today as individual members of the Montecito Sanitary District Board, not to express an official board position, but to share our perspective about the district’s vision to better serve our customers and to plan for future wastewater recycling programs.

Fifteen years ago, the Montecito Sanitary District identified in its 2004 Master Plan the need for three new buildings: Mechanical, Laboratory, and Essential Services. Using strong fiscal discipline, all funds for construction have been earmarked and saved. Construction of the first two buildings has been completed, and the design for the Essential Services Building was finalized in 2017.

Contrary to recent statements in the Montecito Journal, the current building is woefully inadequate. Any assertion otherwise misrepresents some basic facts.

The current building is making it difficult to recruit and retain highly trained, technical employees. Meeting the increasingly rigorous environmental, health and safety standards for a wastewater treatment plant requires a specialized workforce. To compete for the best staff, habitable offices are the bare minimum.

Yet today our current building is cramped and dysfunctional. It’s not ADA compliant, it lacks adequate restrooms, and there are no shower facilities for women. For those who work hard to maintain our local sewers and fix problems when they occur, having to get in their own car and drive home to shower is an indignity.

The poorly constructed building is part converted landscaping wall, part closed-in carport, and patches of various sheds and buildings. The roof leaks and is protected by a plastic tarp. There is mold and termites. There is no heat or air conditioning.

The building is half the size required to house the new technologies and staff needed to comply with increasing regulations, responsibilities, testing and reporting – all to protect the environment and the health and safety of the community we serve.

As a result, we have been forced to adapt in undesirable ways, like placing office spaces in the same room as high voltage switches. Equipment that should be housed inside is instead kept outside where it is subject to the elements and premature wear and tear.

To remedy this, we have engaged in careful, long-term planning with public input and support. The new Essential Services building will provide adequate space for 17 staff members (not four staff members as was inaccurately stated).

Twenty publicly noticed meetings have been held to discuss the project. The Montecito Association Board and their Land Use Committee support the project. All Monte Cristo Lane neighbors, including the Fairway Condominium Homeowners Association, Music Academy and Cemetery were consulted and support the project. One of the benefits of the Master Plan is reduced traffic in our surrounding residential neighborhood.

The Master Plan has been affirmed by multiple boards since 2004. We have saved and earmarked funds for its completion, and we have deferred maintenance in anticipation of it. The alternative – sinking money into woefully inadequate and cost-inefficient facilities – wouldn’t have been fiscally prudent and would have put our community at risk.

Indeed, functional Laboratory and Mechanical Buildings were critical to maintaining services during last year’s debris flow. Now, as we plan for future wastewater recycling and a required increase in staffing, infrastructure, technology and regulatory compliance, it’s critical that we fulfill the long anticipated last step of our 2004 master plan by completing the essential services building.

As we do so, we have also been looking ahead by designing a pilot wastewater recycling project to provide recycled water to irrigate one of our facility’s closest neighbors, the Santa Barbara Cemetery.

We have commissioned an environmental firm to review and assess our plans to eventually replace 80,000 gallons of potable fresh water that currently irrigates the cemetery grounds with recycled water, saving precious potable water for the community and creating a cost savings for the Cemetery District.

At the same time, we continue to work with the Montecito Water District to create a larger wastewater recycling program and we look forward to a continued partnership with them.

The Montecito Sanitary District has and will maintain an AA+ credit rating, a history of clean financial audits and adequate reserves. While some of those new to the discussion may be too quick to cast aspersions, our track record serving the Montecito community speaks for itself.

The Essential Services Building is part of this legacy of responsible, reliable service. We look forward to breaking ground.