The first public hearing on the Nestle Waters North America application for a spring water harvesting project will take place before the Chaffee County Planning Commission, Monday Tuesday, March 3 at 1 p.m. at the Salida SteamPlant on Sackett Street in downtown Salida.
Letters to the editor have already been published from those who fundamentally disagree with the concept of bottled water as well as by those who object to the possibility this local project will make Nestle more profitable.. These are legitimate concerns but not strictly germane to the county’s authority over the project. The most effective testimony will be that which focuses on those parts of Nestle’s application – or any developer – over which the county has legal authority.
This isn’t just true of the Nestle proposal, but all land use planning hearings in the county or the city. In the early days of my career as a newspaper reporter, I was assigned the land use beat in a small Colorado mountain town as well as for a newspaper in a North Carolina beach resort town.
I’ve compiled a few tips from the most effective community activist groups that I hope local community watchdogs will find helpful as they prepare comments for any land use application they want to weigh in on.
First, check out this link to a website that offers some general tips on how to prepare for public testimony. It’s not specific to land use hearings but the suggestions are equally applicable.
Then I’d offer these tips that were ingrained in the most effective land use community activist approaches:
• Know the application and stick to the matter at hand. Familiarize yourself with the proposal and evaluate for yourself the degree to which it complies with the regulations of the specific governing agency. This means thoroughly cross-checking the application to corrresponding land use regulations and standards.
• Understand the application process and your opportunities to participate in it. Broadly speaking, some variation of these steps are involved in most government planning approval processes: Initial staff and developer meeting; developer submits formal application, planning staff review to ensure the application is complete; planning commission review (public hearing), city council or county board of commissioners review (public hearing) and building permit application ad review.
• Know the agency’s application review criteria and review process. For example, a conditional use or special land use permit has different review criteria than a zoning map amendment. Often times, applications are reviewed by other agencies. Governmental agencies typically have their review standards and codes available for public review on a the government’s official website. Most review standards usually refer to the agency’s comprehensive plan or master plan–which is a good document to be familiar with and from which to frame your points. If you need a better understanding of the comp plan or other planning technicalities, the governmental entity’s paid professional staff can answer questions.
• Have something written to submit at a public hearing (preferably enough copies for each member of the board you are addressing), and when it is time to speak your thoughts – highlight your written comments. Particularly when there are many folks who want to speak, time for public comment may be restricted. If time is short, it is best to tie your most important points to established agency review standards.
• To be sure you points are not lost, be sure to be civil, professional and courteous. By the time the public hearing process begins, proposals have already been scrutinized by professional staff and referring agencies. As in any pubic discourse, it’s harder for anyone to hear your points if they are muddled by aggressive language or tone.
Very useful. Looks like we need to start a “best of” or “required reading” category.
please check out defendingwaterinmaine.org to learn more about our battles with Nestle on that coast.
it aint good and you certainly dont want them in your backyard
Also, check out saveMIwater.org to learn about the nightmare in Michigan. I’m with Emily – keep them out!!
The meeting with the Planning Commission is listed as Monday and it is actually on Tuesday at 1pm at the Steamplant.
We all need to be there!
Denise
Lee:
Do you know which parts of the application that the County has legal authority over?
I know the 1041 regs are one of the areas. Any others?
The idea of selling our water to a company with the varied track record that Nestle has, makes me very nervous.
Denise
Frame your comments as they relate to the 1041 regs or the comp plan. I’ve done the site tour and talked with these folks and here’s what I understand but please be sure to fact check with the county planning department. First, the county is not selling water to Nestle. That is not the issue on the table. When Nestle bought the land, it bought those springs. Under Colorado water law, Nestle must replace the water it takes from the springs so it doesn’t injure the rights of downstream water rights holders. The replacement – called augmentation – will be achieved by Nestle buying water from the City of Salida and/or Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy District, or any number of rights holders on the river or a couple other more complicated scenarios. The water issue will be overseen by the state engineer and/or water court. That’s why on Tuesday, your best bet is to stay focused on how the water harvesting operation complies with all the provisions of the 1041 regs and the county comp plan. How will the operation effect the wetlands, the fishery, the land itself, the view corridor, the wildlife in the area, how does the project show “community benefit,” how will the trucking impact traffic flows, what mitigation of any negative impacts has Nestle offered (is it adequate), is this operation on this piece of land in this specific location consistent with the comp plan, etc. etc.
I attended the hearing from 1pm-5pm when they took a break. Nestle still was not done with their testimony after 4 hours. I did not get a chance to comment since I needed to go home and tag in to Dad duty.
The presentation was a good supplement to the reading I have done. I received some good clarification on the technical aspects of the proposal. I poked my head in again at 8:30pm and the Planning Commission was still asking Nestle questions. No one can accuse the County of rushing through this hearing.
Citizen
I have been living in Chaffee county now for eight years.I have been pruod of the direction things have been going until now. We have solar panels going up on our roofs, we ride our bikes as much as possible, we drive hybrids and diesels and we recycle.But now a multi national corperatinswith a reputation of social and moral misconduct has come here to exploit our resources. An industry that is unsustainable. Instead of saying no thanks we line up and ask what’s in it for me.We pretend to want to reduse our carbon footprint but look the otherway at the waist for profit of this industry.People throughout the world are fighting to rid there communities of this corperation and we invite them in hoping to collect a few coins that fall from there pockets.If this goes through I don’t think Salida or Chaffee county can call it’s self a progressive community.
Dear Citizens of Salida & Chaffee,
Don’t think due process through your local government will protect communities or ecosystems that depend on water for life. Local Government is always under pressure to generate more income, and Nestle has enormous power and influence.
In Siskiyou, CA (McCloud) we have experienced total lack of concern by local Govmnt. for the community or our quality of life. Instead of analylizing the long term impacts – Gov chooses the quick $$fix.
The links below (top two!) are put together by very progressive engaged citizens, who have learned to move past local government approval, and enact ordinances which protect ground water from the water pirates and profiteers.
defendingwaterinmaine.org
http://soh2o.org/
alternet.org
stopnestlewaters.org
http://www.mccloudwatershedcouncil.org/
Have any of you wondered why all you see is the 1041? Where are the consultant reports from the county? THEY ARE AT THE COUNTY BUILDING. They are puplic record but for some reason they have not been posted on the county’s website. And guess what?
They do not paint the same rosey picture that Nestle does. Any surprise there?
Come to a meeting at Bongo Billy’s Salida Sunday, March 15, 4pm. We will be filling people in on the latest info. Write letters to the commissioners, show up at the March 18 meeting, make a public comment.