Letter: Ex-councilman backs Hillcrest water plan

I was a member of the Yuba City Council when we approved the purchase of the Hillcrest Water system. This system was not purchased to help Yuba City obtain a back-up supply, but to try and prevent homes in the Hillcrest supply area, from being-tagged. In other words, trying to prevent home owners from being evicted from their homes due to a bad water supply system. The City Council knew that upgrades to the Hillcrest well system or connecting to the city surface water system would have to happen at some point in the future, and so stated.

The people who are causing all the problems, and wasting many city staff hours, after everything has all ready been explained fully, in many hours of open meetings, are after only one thing — a free lunch. People like Rick Dais and his group are not being truthful, or just can't see the forest for the trees. This is nothing new for some of them at all, but rather just a continuation of their old tactics. Their tactics are not only misleading the population but are not backed up by any facts at all.

It is a shame that these folks don't use all their extra energy for accomplishing some good for our city and our citizens, such as helping to curb the gang problem, or how to raise the money to fix the levee system.

They and many other citizens purchase bottled water, and spend much more than $20 a month, Plus they own/rent water softeners, iron filters, etc., which all cost money; I know — I was there for many years but annexed to Yuba City and cut my monthly costs by two-thirds. Oh yes, we did pay for our city surface water, $7,500.00. That is not bragging but pure fact, and a happy one for us.

I hope the citizens of Yuba City understand that the group who demand a free lunch want you the citizens to pay for it. You, like I, have already paid for it once. Why pay again for other people's water? Under the free lunch group's proposal, Tierra Buena residents who recently hooked up to the city and paid their share would get to pay again.

I hope and pray that all the people that have the right to vote on this issue really understand the facts and compare them to the mistruths being put out. Remember, you have the legal right to change your mind and withdraw your vote against the city's plan if you desire, but you must do this prior to the start of the formal council meeting Monday.

Eric Hellberg

Yuba City