Letter: Duane Wallace letter to voters

Dear Voters: Everyone knows what goes downhill, but the South Tahoe Public Utility District knows how to recycle it into 381,000 kilowatts of electricity per year. A recent feature article by the Association of California Water Agencies pointed out that STPUD is one of only a handful of utility districts in the entire world that can claim 100% reuse of wastewater and bio solids. Here’s how. We use centrifuges instead of the usual pollution causing burners. That allows us to make fertilizer for ranch land. We use a natural biological process to treat 1.5 billion gallons of wastewater annually where it is used by ranchers for irrigation. In addition to generating electricity, the District is now growing alfalfa at a profit as well as leasing out grazing land All the above happens while maintaining 700 miles of water and sewer collection lines and pumping the wastewater 26 miles over a high mountain pass.

This is your Utility District and your money. It needs to run like a business. That means that my job as a director is to vote the way you would if you knew what I know.

Is the District just like all other agencies? Not this one. STPUD has won the top national award for our Comprehensive Annual Financial Reporting for the past 20 years. STPUD has won the award of number one utility District in the United States Twice! Where it comes to the new buzz word “transparency”, STPUD just achieved that top award for openness in government. We have not fallen into the retirement fund trap that most all other government agencies have become mired in. Some other agencies like the City have tried to take us over to take your hard-earned tax dollars which would raise your rates. I for one fought that attempt and we won. There are others who try to raise our rates too high. During my tenure we have stayed as the lowest fees in the Tahoe Basin. I was also a part of the Board when we sued 32 major oil companies over MTBE pollution. And we beat them all!

The District is dedicated to installing new pipes and fire hydrants to prevent fires. It is well known that if not for the new pipes and tanks on Gardner Mountain that the Angora fire would be much worse.

I’ve lived here 46 years, through droughts, mud slides, storms and great powder skiing days. At 21, I opened Happy Steak Restaurant and owned it 16 years. I was Chamber CEO for 12 years. I have a BA in business administration. I’m a graduate of the Institute for Organization Management. I’ve worked hard to keep the rates the lowest in the Tahoe Basin, and to build the infrastructure needed to keep our drinking water clean, and available for fire safety. We’ve installed over 100 fire hydrants improving fire suppression in your neighborhoods. We’ve recently cut the sewer connection fees in half! We also cut at least one quarters sewer bill in half, and there will be no rate increase this year. And we are working on lowering other costs for affordable housing. I’ve stood firm against special interests. Tamara and I raised four kids here, adopted another and have foster parented. We’ve been involved in every aspect of making life better for families, including education, affordable housing, coaching sports, music, and church youth groups. We dearly love our town. Your vote for me will send a message that you still want fair, independent leaders who’ll listen to you. I’ll honor your vote with hard work.

Sincerely,
Duane Wallace
(530) 545-3563
duane_wallace@hotmail.com