One irrigation race contested

Two men are opposing 24-year incumbent.

Published online on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2006

Three Fresno Irrigation District board seats are up for election this year, but only one member is in a contested race.

The one competitive seat is for the Division 4 post now held by Jacob Andresen Jr., the chairman and longest-tenured member, with 24 years on the board.

Two men — grower Tom Steffen and district employee and grower Robert Metzler — are campaigning against Andresen.

Fresno Irrigation District covers about 245,000 acres and operates about 800 miles of canals and pipelines. In a normal year, FID handles about 500,000 acre-feet of water and delivers most of it to agricultural users. The cities of Fresno and Clovis buy about 150,000 acre-feet of FID water annually.

The Division 4 seat stretches from the west side of Clovis into western Fresno County and includes Kerman and Biola.

Last year, the district raised water fees, something all three candidates said was warranted, although Andresen's challengers questioned why the district waited 11 years to do it.

Andresen said the board was being sensitive to grape growers, who were enduring tough times for several years and may not have supported a higher fee.

"We didn't think it was the right time for a fee increase," Andresen said.

Growers approved the fee with 57% support.

The higher water rate also covers additional fees that FID is being charged to pay for state-mandated programs.

Andresen said FID has been run on tight budgets and earned grants to make its money go farther. The largest grant — $4.65 million — is paying for half the 240-acre Waldron Pond water bank being built with the city of Clovis.

Andresen said the board also has forged relationships with other agencies during his tenure. He said it will take time for a new person to become familiar with other agencies.

Steffen, 46, said the district board needs an infusion of youth that will bring with it new and innovative ideas.

Steffen said the higher fees were needed, but the money must be used in the right places. Much of the money will pay for work on canals, rodent barriers, trash rakes, basins and pipelines.

"One of the things they sold us on was repairing the infrastructure," Steffen said. "But who is safeguarding the money for the infrastructure repairs and prioritizing the projects?"

Metzler, an FID water system operator and farmer, said he sees the needs every day.

"I talk with growers all the time and they tell me their complaints," he said. "We need a lot of repair on many of our canals."

Metzler, 46, said he wants to be sure that the water fee increases will be used for the most necessary work.

He also said he wants to be sure the new money is spent evenly throughout the district.

"It should be more about the district as a whole rather than just certain portions," he said.

As an employee, Metzler said there will be times he will have to recuse himself from voting, but that would only be when he stands to benefit, such as employees' negotiations.

Metzler is allowed to run because the district has no policy against employees seeking a board seat.

"His job is not in direct conflict with holding a position on the board," said Alex Peltzer, a lawyer for the district.

Director Jeff Neely, 52, representing northeast Fresno and the Clovis area, is running unopposed.

Director Eddie Niederfrank, 52, whose area covers southwest Fresno and nearby rural areas, also has no opponents.