City Council Approves Contribution to Quail Valley Survey

The Menifee City Council Tuesday night unanimously approved a supplemental appropriation of $5,000 to Eastern Municipal Water District to help fund a survey to determine income levels of Quail Valley residents.

According to city documents, the cost of the $15,000 survey would be shared by the City of Menifee, EMWD and the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District. If the survey determines that Quail Valley qualifies for the designation of a "disadvantaged community," it would more easily be eligible for state and federal funds to address a crucial water quality issue.

There has long been concern in the area about aging septic tanks and runoff of contaminated water. The funding could make a sewer system possible.

Tom Fuhrman, the council member who represents Quail Valley, said it's time to get something done rather than continue spending on committees with no results. Following his motion on an earlier agenda item, the request for approval of an agreement to join a task force including area elected officials to study "impaired" water bodies in the area was tabled.

"This task force has been in effect for six years at a cost of $800,000 a year," Fuhrman said. "I'm looking at 47 pages about this, and there's not one list of accomplishments of this task force. I see no point in having an agreement with lots of politicians who are paid to make these decisions. They have no expertise in this area."

Instead, Fuhrman hopes the city council's vote to support the income survey will be the first step in getting something done.

"There's a building moratorium in Quail Valley by the Santa Ana River Water Quality Board," said Fuhrman, noting that the many failed septic tanks in the area are a major factor in that decision. "They will not relent on giving people building permits out there until they see that Menifee is moving forward. We have to show them we are."