What is the purpose of the Virgin Valley Water District?

And, another question:

What Does a Rational Observer think about the VVWD?

Section 1.3 of the Virgin Valley Water District Bylaws state that:

“The purpose of the District is to provide adequate and sufficient water service vital to the economy and well-being of the residents of the Virgin Valley area. “ (emphasis added by author)

Does any rational observer interpret that purpose statement to mean that the VVWD board should buy water assets with the money its ratepayers provide and then provide that water to the highest bidder even if that bidder IS NOT within the Water District?

Does any rational observer interpret that statement of purpose to mean that the VVWD should buy water assets and then use them to try to gain the highest “profit” from them by leasing them to water users outside of its district boundaries?

Does any rational observer interpret that purpose statement to mean that the Board members should indebt the District for Millions of Dollars and use much of that money to buy the rights to get filthy, dirty, non-potable irrigation water from their “insider” friends for the HIGHEST PRICES EVER PAID for such terrible water?

Earlier this week the Mesquite Local News published a story written by insider Barbara Ellestad entitled:

Wolf Creek files opposition to Water District dismissal request

AUGUST 14, 2018 BY BARBARA ELLESTAD

The story discusses a lawsuit brought by a local Mesquite Business regarding the intent of the VVWD to raise the lease price of this non-potable irrigation water by about 500%. This Mesquite business employs several dozens of Virgin Valley residents and it is also one of the most generous contributors to local causes. By any measure Wolf Creek Golf Course it is a great corporate citizen. The rationale of the VVWD for such gouging of  local water users is that this increase will raise the price to what they deem to be the “Market Price”. The problem is that this is NOT the market price for such water in the VVWD service area…….not even close. Yes, the VVWD board is using the price that users OUTSIDE of its service area will pay for the water and thus determining in practice that VVWD water is for sale to the highest bidder anywhere.  The MLN and Ellestad make no mention of this and Ellestad herself vociferously supported this ridiculous “pricing” scheme when she was on the VVWD Board.

In response to the MLN article this author  wrote the following comment and submitted it to the MLN:

“The real and obvious question here is whether the VVWD exists for the purpose of serving the water users WITHIN ITS DESIGNATED SERVICE DISTRICT or if its charter is to try to make as much money as it can selling or leasing its water assets to anyone who will pay the highest dollar, even if that  benefits users who are NOT LOCATED WITHIN THE VVWD’s service district at the expense of its local irrigation water users. The VVWD is NOT a for-profit business. It’s sole purpose is to serve its customers, NOT the water users well outside its service area in Las Vegas or anywhere else. The VVWD and its biggest cheerleader Barbara Ellestad like to call the Las Vegas price the  “market price” of the irrigation water that VVWD owns, but that is most certainly NOT the market price of irrigation water IN THE VVWD SERVICE AREA. Trying to jack up prices to Virgin Valley irrigation water users to the “Las Vegas price” is foolish, disingenuous, and a misrepresentation of the local market value of that water. If Los Angeles will pay more for drinking water than the users in the Virgin Valley should the VVWD then hold their local customers hostage and tell them that they will have to pay as much as L.A. if they want drinking water? Wake up, Mesquite. Just because the VVWD enriched a bunch of local good ‘ol boys by buying their undrinkable irrigation water for ludicrous prices doesn’t mean it is really worth that much……certainly not within the VVWD District area.  By the way, former congressman and current candidate and Good ‘ol boy Cresent Hardy was the recipient of MILLIONS of Ratepayer dollars at some of the highest price per acre foot ever paid. Hmmmmmmm.

ALL OF THE WATER provided to/by the VVWD was developed and bought using in-district ratepayer money……those ratepayers are the only legitimate customers for that water. Trying to make its in-district customers pay the “Las Vegas price” for VVWD water is shameful.”

Is anyone surprised that the  MLN didn’t publish the comment? In keeping with their practice ever since Ellestad became associated with the MLN again, it apparently no longer believes in publishing views that don’t agree with hers. The MLN appears to now think that the only viewpoint worth publishing is theirs.  This author disagrees.