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Two candidates still are in the running for the Division 4 seat left open when Paul Williams stepped down in April — rancher Jim Bachman and organic farmer Will Morebeck, both of whom reside on Garden Bar Road in the Lincoln area.
Directors Nancy Weber and Nick Wilcox support Morebeck, while board President John Drew and Director Scott Miller favor Bachman. Williams recommended Bachman before he left his seat of 27 years.
Williams has been his neighbor for 40 years and he considers him a very good friend, Bachman said.
“He asked me several times if I would be willing to run when he decided to retire,” Bachman said. “It's something I've always had in the back of my mind.”
If he is named to the board, Bachman intends to follow in Williams' voting footsteps, he said Tuesday.
“I would carry on Paul's philosophy, the way that he saw things,” Bachman said. “As an ag guy, my priorities are to make sure that water is available for the ag people and to hold the rates somewhat in line for them.”
A new water treatment plant scheduled for construction in Lincoln has been a source of controversy among water users in Nevada County, who fear losing water to downstream users. But Bachman, citing stalled development in Placer County, said the plant is “down the road a ways ... More development needs to be committed to before the plant becomes an actual thing.”
Bachman moved to Lincoln in 1942 and built a home on an 80-acre property on Garden Bar in 1963, part of his family's original 240 acres. He retired in 2005 after working for Carmichael Construction for more than 40 years.
Bachman has served 15 years on the board of directors for the Placer County Farm Bureau, serving as president from 2005 to 2008; he has been a delegate to the state Farm Bureau House of Delegates for 10 years. He also has served 20 years on the board of Placer Farm Supply in Newcastle.
Morebeck is a certified organic grower of Meyer lemons and mandarin oranges.
He was appointed to the Placer County Agricultural Commission in 1998 to represent small farms. During his tenure, he worked on a right to farm ordinance and nursery and winery ordinances.
He also worked with Placer County planners to determine feasibility of water delivery systems for western Placer County.
Morebeck served eight years on the board of PlacerGROWN, helping to launch its Web site, a farm trails map and the Placer County Agricultural Marketing Program.
In his letter to the NID board, Morebeck stressed the need to ensure the viability of water in an environmentally sustainable manner for both farms and growing cities.
“I'm not the heir apparent,” Morebeck said, citing the Placer County Board of Supervisors' support of Bachman. “But I have a lot of experience. I've been a field rep in commercial agriculture and I'm also a small farmer ... I have an overall knowledge of the planning process, and I've worked with the environmental community.
“I understand both sides, if there are two sides,” Morebeck said. “Sometimes, the environmental issues and the ag issues overlap. Support for agriculture doesn't mean you're anti-environment.”
To contact Staff Writer Liz Kellar, e-mail lkellar@theunion.com or call 477-4229.
Directors Nancy Weber and Nick Wilcox support Morebeck, while board President John Drew and Director Scott Miller favor Bachman. Williams recommended Bachman before he left his seat of 27 years.
Williams has been his neighbor for 40 years and he considers him a very good friend, Bachman said.
“He asked me several times if I would be willing to run when he decided to retire,” Bachman said. “It's something I've always had in the back of my mind.”
If he is named to the board, Bachman intends to follow in Williams' voting footsteps, he said Tuesday.
“I would carry on Paul's philosophy, the way that he saw things,” Bachman said. “As an ag guy, my priorities are to make sure that water is available for the ag people and to hold the rates somewhat in line for them.”
A new water treatment plant scheduled for construction in Lincoln has been a source of controversy among water users in Nevada County, who fear losing water to downstream users. But Bachman, citing stalled development in Placer County, said the plant is “down the road a ways ... More development needs to be committed to before the plant becomes an actual thing.”
Bachman moved to Lincoln in 1942 and built a home on an 80-acre property on Garden Bar in 1963, part of his family's original 240 acres. He retired in 2005 after working for Carmichael Construction for more than 40 years.
Bachman has served 15 years on the board of directors for the Placer County Farm Bureau, serving as president from 2005 to 2008; he has been a delegate to the state Farm Bureau House of Delegates for 10 years. He also has served 20 years on the board of Placer Farm Supply in Newcastle.
Morebeck is a certified organic grower of Meyer lemons and mandarin oranges.
He was appointed to the Placer County Agricultural Commission in 1998 to represent small farms. During his tenure, he worked on a right to farm ordinance and nursery and winery ordinances.
He also worked with Placer County planners to determine feasibility of water delivery systems for western Placer County.
Morebeck served eight years on the board of PlacerGROWN, helping to launch its Web site, a farm trails map and the Placer County Agricultural Marketing Program.
In his letter to the NID board, Morebeck stressed the need to ensure the viability of water in an environmentally sustainable manner for both farms and growing cities.
“I'm not the heir apparent,” Morebeck said, citing the Placer County Board of Supervisors' support of Bachman. “But I have a lot of experience. I've been a field rep in commercial agriculture and I'm also a small farmer ... I have an overall knowledge of the planning process, and I've worked with the environmental community.
“I understand both sides, if there are two sides,” Morebeck said. “Sometimes, the environmental issues and the ag issues overlap. Support for agriculture doesn't mean you're anti-environment.”
To contact Staff Writer Liz Kellar, e-mail lkellar@theunion.com or call 477-4229.
