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Dear City Council members,
I recently read Ron Shepherd's letter recommending that you consider selling the city water department. His arguments are compelling and I had the same reaction some months ago when looking at the city's budget. It seems the department is far too small to provide all that Menlo Park customers need (water quality testing labs, measurement and reporting; customer service and billing; maintenance and repair in a timely manner; water treatment and disinfecting). Furthermore, per Shepherd's letter, it appears to be running a large annual deficit and requires significant upcoming capital improvements. CalWater, on the other hand, is the largest regulated water utility west of the Mississippi and is far better positioned to provide the service and critically needed maintenance. They are a profitable, publicly traded utility with over $714 MM in revenue (in 2019) that made $273 MM in capital improvements that year.
As a city council, you have a huge job and I so appreciate all you are doing to keep our city finances in line. Thank you! This year especially it has been a tough job. Please consider the benefits of selling the water district.
Best,
Debbie Hall
1245 Hillview Drive
Menlo Park
