Petition requesting Santa Fe County Commissioners to amend the draft of the current Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) creating the Region Water Authority. The Authority will be responsible for providing a robust, safe, and reliable water supply for domestic, municipal, industrial, irrigation, and commercial uses for the residents of the NPT Basin to be served by the Regional Water System (RWS). In the current JPA draft, which is being put forth for consideration by the SF Commission currently, the first five Authority directors are composed of an appointed member from each of the individual Parties: the Pueblo of Pojoaque, Pueblo of San Ildefonso, Pueblo of Nambe, Pueblo of Tesuque, and the County of Santa Fe. It is of great concern that under the JPA draft currently being considered, the remaining two directors are to be selected by a majority vote of the five Party Directors. We feel this will highly likely create an unfair representation of the customers the RWS will serve. Note: According to 2010 census data, the NPT Basin is comprised of 84% non-pueblo residents and 16% pueblo residents.
We, Santa Fe County residents who reside within the service area of the (RWS), firmly request Santa Fe County amend the current Joint Power Agreement (JPA) draft to provide for fair and equal representation under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of our US Constitution for non-pueblo customers with a more fair and representative board, preferably a nine member board or at the very least a seven member board, with these additional appointed directors being non-pueblo residents in the service area of the RWS. The representation proposed with the current JPA is a clear violation of our right to vote through malapportionment. (Reynolds v. Sims, 377 U.S. 533 (1964))
Updates
November 19, 2016
I never thought we would see this kind of energy building up behind this water board issue because honestly it felt like shouting into the void at first. Seeing so many people actually looking at the fine print of this agreement and realizing how skewed the representation is makes me feel a lot less crazy. Now we just have to keep the pressure on these commissioners until they finally admit that everyone in the basin deserves a seat at the table.
28 Comments
I am supporting a more diverse board that is reflected by the basins demographics.
The purpose of the settlement was to bring dispute to a close. The current JPA arrangement will guarantee continued ill-feelings and disputes. Fair representation will go a long ways toward minimizing those problems.
Would love to see a 9 member board. County, 4 tribes, and 2 non-native since we are the main customers and 2 at large.
Non Native members need equal voting representation on the board. The Regional Water Authority needs to provide fair representation for both native and non-native water users as part of the Aamodt settlement affecting the NPT River valley.
The last two directors should be selected from the landowners most affected by the agreement and not yet represented
The draft agreement is grossly one sided in favor of the pueblos. This MUST be modified to provide fair representation for non-pueblo residents.
Unfair
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Petition requesting Santa Fe County Commissioners to amend the draft of the current Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) creating the Region Water Authority. The Authority will be responsible for providing a robust, safe, and reliable water supply for domestic, municipal, industrial, irrigation, and commercial uses for the residents of the NPT Basin to be served by the Regional Water System (RWS). In the current JPA draft, which is being put forth for consideration by the SF Commission currently, the first five Authority directors are composed of an appointed member from each of the individual Parties: the Pueblo of Pojoaque, Pueblo of San Ildefonso, Pueblo of Nambe, Pueblo of Tesuque, and the County of Santa Fe. It is of great concern that under the JPA draft currently being considered, the remaining two directors are to be selected by a majority vote of the five Party Directors. We feel this will highly likely create an unfair representation of the customers the RWS will serve. Note: According to 2010 census data, the NPT Basin is comprised of 84% non-pueblo residents and 16% pueblo residents.
We, Santa Fe County residents who reside within the service area of the (RWS), firmly request Santa Fe County amend the current Joint Power Agreement (JPA) draft to provide for fair and equal representation under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of our US Constitution for non-pueblo customers with a more fair and representative board, preferably a nine member board or at the very least a seven member board, with these additional appointed directors being non-pueblo residents in the service area of the RWS. The representation proposed with the current JPA is a clear violation of our right to vote through malapportionment. (Reynolds v. Sims, 377 U.S. 533 (1964))
Updates
November 19, 2016
I never thought we would see this kind of energy building up behind this water board issue because honestly it felt like shouting into the void at first. Seeing so many people actually looking at the fine print of this agreement and realizing how skewed the representation is makes me feel a lot less crazy. Now we just have to keep the pressure on these commissioners until they finally admit that everyone in the basin deserves a seat at the table.
28 Comments
We must have fair rreprrsentation on this Boatd. We are 85%of the people this Board's decision will affect.
I am supporting a more diverse board that is reflected by the basins demographics.
The purpose of the settlement was to bring dispute to a close. The current JPA arrangement will guarantee continued ill-feelings and disputes. Fair representation will go a long ways toward minimizing those problems.
Would love to see a 9 member board. County, 4 tribes, and 2 non-native since we are the main customers and 2 at large.
Non Native members need equal voting representation on the board. The Regional Water Authority needs to provide fair representation for both native and non-native water users as part of the Aamodt settlement affecting the NPT River valley.
The last two directors should be selected from the landowners most affected by the agreement and not yet represented
The draft agreement is grossly one sided in favor of the pueblos. This MUST be modified to provide fair representation for non-pueblo residents.
Unfair
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We must have fair rreprrsentation on this Boatd. We are 85%of the people this Board's decision will affect.