RE:Hi SvenAs for Strasser water rights, I would assume the premise is that by selling his water rights to the City they will utilize them for Sage Ranch. The non-refundable deposit is what he paid for the rights plus fees. The money he gets from the City for selling them the water rights is his profit.
i.e. 115AF times the going rate of between $7,500 to $10,000 equates to $862,500- $1,115,000
Speculating.
I personally don't believe the City signing an agreement that the water rights will strictly be utilized towards Sage Ranch would not be in their best interest particularily from a legal standpoint. If they are charging $4,000 per household for water but agreeing to double those costs (just for Sage Ranch) may come back to haunt them from their tax base. All issues need to be wayed by legal counsel.
I believe the premise that tweeking a few small items to the WSA and the EIR can be merely resubmitted to the judge and approved is ridiculous. The judge has already produced the premptory writ that must be implemented within 60 days of the fourth cause being finalized. Which it has to be.
The City's/GRB lawyers and consultants have been wrong so far in relation to the case.
My opinion is that the Ciachurski's comments are merely more "can kicking" until the fourth cause is isssued, the writ enforced within 60 days and then possibly the City moves ahead to the EIR process all over again. Yes, this may involving more tweeking then anything else but by just having all 350 net AF water rights does resolve all the judge's rulings related to the four causes.
Perhaps by that time the City owns Strasser's water rights but will likely have no formal "obligation" to dedicate them to Sage Ranch. Wait and see.
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Closed session
On the City Council’s closed session agenda Monday night were five items. In addition to conferring with legal counsel on the water district lawsuit over Sage Ranch, the council was slated to discuss one potential case with “significant exposure to litigation,” another potential case of “anticipated litigation,” and to confer with real property negotiators for priced and terms of payment in a water rights negotiation with Ronnie Strasser."
Be cognizant of what these highlighted items are and whom is possibly bringing them for potential litigation. Lots of moving parts in the background.