May 20, 2021 4:00 a.m.

A KQEN election follow up:

On Tuesday, voters in the Roberts Creek Water District and in the Green Sanitary District voted to dissolve both districts and form the new Green Area Water and Sanitary Authority. Votes on all three questions were over 70 percent in the affirmative, according to the Douglas County Clerk’s Office.

Roberts Creek Water District Office Manager David Campos told News Radio 1240 KQEN that the boards of both districts had contemplated the consolidation for some time. The boards hired a consultant who helped to walk them through the process.

Campos said the service areas are almost the same with all existing Green Sanitary District customers inside the Roberts Creek Water District. Campos said both organizations have a number of staff retirements coming up and the timing will allow the new entity to save on administrative costs and eventually work out of one office. Campos said there will be added protections in becoming an “Authority” versus a district. He said that mainly involves potential incorporations into a city, which had been discussed in the past.

Now with voter approval, a number of things will have to be done, including the filing of a number of legal documents. Campos said the five new board members, elected on Tuesday, will choose a general manager, officer manager and an operations manager. The plan is to have all staff work in what is now the Roberts Creek office, while the Green office is remodeled. After that everyone will eventually end up at the Green office. Campos said the buildings are both on Old Highway 99 South, less than a mile apart.

Roberts Creek Water District was formed in 1937 while Green Sanitary District began in 1955.