Water worries dominate Poway town hall meeting

When it comes to Powegians, the number one thing they want the city’s budget to focus on is dealing with the drought, according to a survey from the City of Poway.

The survey, which was sent out to about 15,000 Poway residents, drew 73 responses and about 15 attendees to a special joint city council and budget review committee meeting on Monday.

City Manager Dan Singer said that the responses in the survey were “nothing earth shattering,” as what the city heard from the community was generally how they already handle the budget.

The meeting allowed the public and city council members and city employees to discuss the survey results and what the public wanted to see the budget focus on. The meeting also included a presentation breaking down the City of Poway’s budget, showing how it works and what funding goes where.

The survey asked citizens how they would allocate the city’s budget if the budget was $100, asking them to split the money between administration, the fire department, maintenance, parks and open spaces, recreation and community events, roads, the sheriff’s department and savings and reserves.

In addition, the survey also gave the public an “other” category, which drew several interesting responses, ranging from affordable housing and homeless services to burying power lines and improving the library and city center.

The most popular other responses, however, revolved around the drought and how Poway can improve its usage of water.

“Invest in water savings funds for household landscaping. People need to stop installing grass. And, replace with rock, turf or something that does not require water. Invest in landscaping for residents so we stop wasting water. Some sort of rebate for people removing grass and replacing with non-water landscaping. Something, anything to stop people from watering,” read one anonymous response.

Another called for Poway to define its creeks and water channels to contain runoff water year-round, while another called for general efforts to address Poway’s water supply during the drought.

An additional three responses asked for the use of gray water in the community to save water.

“Water conservation is a repeated theme (in the survey responses),” said Singer.

Chris Olps, one of the members of the public in attendance, asked if the city had a plan for future water and sewer projects to deal with the drought.

“Unless there’s already (a capital improvement project in place), the budget doesn’t plan for it,” said Singer. “It takes years to get a capital improvement project done, but this is a new crisis.”

Singer said that the council has about $1 million set aside for emergency use, which they may use to help Poway deal with the drought. Singer said that other funds from the reserves could also be allocated if necessary, or there are also options to finance. “The door isn’t shut on those projects,” said Singer.

The city has also set up a hotline where any improper use of water or breaking of the water use restrictions can be reported. “If you observe someone in violation of the water ordinances or see excess water runoff, hoses running, people washing their cars, or commercial facilities with inappropriate water usage, please call the hotline we’ve set up and leave a message with as much detail as you can,” said Singer.

The hotline number is 858-668-1215. You can also email customerservice@poway.org and send your report that way. Singer asked that you let the city know during your message if you would like a response sent back to you or a call back to confirm that they received your report.