MID board candidates discuss customer rates, water challenges and future of power
Seven people are running for three board seats at the Modesto Irrigation District as it contends with water challenges and a changing power industry.
Frank Damrell and Janice Keating are on the Nov. 8 ballot in Division 2, where John Mensinger is not seeking reelection. It takes in central Modesto.
Nick Dokoozlian faces Robert Frobose in Division 3, the northeast part of MID, where incumbent Paul Campbell is not running.
Incumbent Stu Gilman is vying against John Boer and Brad Johnson in Division 3, the northwest.
MID supplies water to about 58,000 farmland acres and supplements city wells in Modesto and a few smaller locales. It has about 130,000 electricity customers.
The district faces the prospect of a fourth straight year of drought in 2023. It has a longer-term challenge with a state plan to release much more water from Don Pedro Reservoir for fish in the lower Tuolumne River.
The plan was adopted in 2018 by the State Water Resources Control Board but has not been carried out. Hopes have emerged recently about a possible compromise, but details have not been released.
On the power side, MID must meet state mandates to get at least 60% from renewable sources by 2030 and 100% by 2045. The district also has to plan for charging electric vehicles en masse as sales of new gasoline-powered models end by 2035.
MID has long had low water rates for farmers, but that could change with a recent court ruling against using power income to subsidize irrigation. The district has appealed.
The Modesto Bee asked the candidates about the issues during an editorial board forum, along with a questionnaire. The details:
Division 2: Frank Damrell
Damrell, 60, was an aide to former state Sen. Cathleen Galgiani, D-Stockton. He said he would endorse the river-flow compromise if it turns out to benefit MID.
“The other routes were going to be an edict from on high, and that was not acceptable,” he said.
Damrell said he would support the sale of MID water to well users just to the east only when enough is available and the district gets a fair price. The sales could help the region comply with a state mandate for sustainable aquifers, he said.
Damrell said MID power customers should not subsidize its farmers. And he pledged to ease the “dysfunction” at times among current board members, generally split between city and farm bases.
Damrell urged expansion of “time-of-use” electricity billing, where rates are cheaper for overnight vehicle charging and other uses.
The candidate said earlier MID leaders “set us up for success” with dam building and the canal and water treatment systems.
“We have to continue, but we need a unified board to make some wise decisions and insightful decisions going forward,” he said.
Division 2: Janice Keating
Keating, 56, is a self-employed bookkeeper and tax preparer who has served on the Modesto City Council. She said she would use her budgeting skills to keep MID customer rates in line at a time of high inflation in the overall economy.
Keating said the river-flow debate should include recognition of what MID already has done to enhance fish habitat.
“We should fight for every last drop and protect our district households, farmers and businesses ...,” she said.
Keating endorsed the program that allows MID farmers to transfer water among themselves during drought. She said the district also should look for ways to reduce evaporation and leaks along the canals.
The candidate said the emergence of electric vehicles means MID will have to expand a power system already stressed by heat waves. She urged that natural gas continue to be among the options while the district expands its renewable generation and its energy conservation programs. Keating also supports having Don Pedro hydropower count as renewable.
Division 3: Nick Dokoozlian
Dokoozlian, 23, is a field representative for the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors.
He said he would work to avoid power rate increases and would support a river-flow agreement that protects the district. He would agree to surplus water sales to the east only if the price exceeds MID’s cost.
“I think that we need a fresh and independent voice that’s going to put our ratepayers first,” he said.
Dokoozlian said he agrees with an Oct. 11 board vote that could lead to a state-funded power plant on Claribel Road that would burn natural gas to avoid outages. He urges the district to seek grants to expand capacity for charging electric vehicles. He said MID also should provide more incentives to customers to install solar.
Dokoozlian said MID could prepare for more drought years by making the canals more efficient and adding water storage.
“There will be many special interests that will attempt to take our water and send it out of district, but we must do everything in our power to stop that from happening,” he said.
Division 3: Robert Frobose
Frobose, 64, is a farmer who also has been in the welding, trucking and horse-training businesses.
He contends that the state’s river-flow proposal has been a ploy to send water to distant urban users. He said he could not comment on the possible compromise until he sees the details.
Frobose said MID should make its water and power systems more efficient rather than increasing rates. He agrees that water sales just east of the district could help with groundwater, but only at a favorable price.
“I will fight to keep our water here, keep our rates affordable, both water and electricity,” Frobose said.
He urges efforts to secure long-term power sources, including renewables, and to pay competitive salaries to MID engineers so they do not leave.
“Pilot projects such as time-of-use (billing) for electric vehicles should be explored and expanded on,” Frobose said. “The district must also continue to seek long-term contracts in the energy marketplace that maximize the ability to keep rates affordable.”
Division 4: John Boer
Boer is an almond and walnut grower and assistant chief at the Woodland Avenue Fire District, a volunteer role. He said he would work to keep water and power rates low and make the operations more efficient.
Boer said he has to see details on the river-flow compromise before endorsing it. He said Don Pedro actually has helped fish because the river would otherwise dry up during severe drought.
Boer said he would agree to sell water to nearby well users only if MID needs are met and the district gets a good price.
“MID has been key to the economic development of our area since 1887 and had a great culture for many decades,” he said. “We have to restore that culture and put the community first by stopping the infighting on the board and controlling costs. ...”
Division 4: Stu Gilman
Gilman, 64, is a software consultant who has served on the MID board since 2017. He said he supports the river-flow compromise if it is favorable to the district, but he cautioned that the state failed to come through on a previous agreement.
“If it doesn’t work out and they walk away from it like they did in 2018, it’s back to the lawsuits, which none of us want,” Gilman said.
He said he helped make permanent a program that allows MID farmers to transfer water among themselves during drought.
Gilman agrees with selling water to nearby farmers during wetter times, which would reduce their well pumping, but only if MID gets a good price.
He said he could not comment in detail on the lawsuit over power customers subsidizing irrigation rates. He did say he would like to charge temporary fees to farmers to pay for canal system upgrades.
Division 4: Brad Johnson
Johnson, 58, works in electronics and has a background in computers, broadcasting and radio engineering. He differs at least somewhat from the other candidates on MID’s position on reservoir releases.
“If the fish need the water, we should be helping them to recover from the man-made effects on the ecosystem from the dams,” Johnson said. “If the state is using the fish as an excuse to take the water to make someone out of the area rich, this is something we should resist and be very open with the public about it.”
Johnson said MID could best prepare for another year of drought through its new Groundwater Sustainability Plan. The state-mandated document spells out recharge and other options for healthy aquifers.
The candidate said MID should plan not just for nighttime charging of electric cars, but for using their batteries to store energy for times of peak demand.
“Modern planning envisions a two-way connection here with the EV cars connected to the smart home’s system,” he said.
Johnson said the district should ease its rules for residential solar panels to help meet the renewable mandate. He also urged more large solar projects and questioned the natural gas plant on Claribel.
