San Juan Capistrano’s five City Council candidates got together for a debate Monday night at the Community Center, just eight days before the election for two available seats.

The race features two pairs of candidates running as teams – incumbent Sam Allevato and Planning Commissioner Ginny Kerr on one side and former Mayor Roy Byrnes and activist Kim McCarthy on the other – and Marine veteran Tom Marantz.

On Monday, they addressed questions about water rates, traffic, the city’s historic character and more.

WATER

One of the most controversial issues of the race involves local water rates and the city’s continued investment in its groundwater recovery plant, which city officials say is producing more than 70 percent of San Juan’s usable water.

The current City Council, with the exception of member Derek Reeve, continues to support the plant. But many residents, including Byrnes and McCarthy, have demanded that the city import all its water from the Metropolitan Water District because it would save money.

The candidates were asked to rate the importance of a locally produced water supply on a scale of 1 to 10.

Allevato gave it a 9. “All the water experts I speak to … say it’s not about the cost of water, it’s about the reliability of water, and the future is going to be about reliability,” Allevato said. “I believe the plant is there for good reason. I think we need to continue to keep it running at its optimum.

“I think you still have to have in place the mechanism to bring in imported water, because we’re not quite at 100 percent,” he added.

Kerr and Marantz agreed that it is essential that the city have its own source of water.

Marantz suggested the city continue to partner with other local agencies to develop new methods of supplying water, including continued participation in a project to build an ocean desalination plant. Marantz said that while the cost is still high, the technology is there and the cost will come down.

Byrnes and McCarthy were less optimistic about a local water supply and more concerned about how much residents pay for water.

“I think it’s a big mistake,” Byrnes said of the investment in the groundwater plant. “This project has cost us approximately double, and we really have a less reliable source of water.

“We’ve had virtual uninterrupted extra-excellent water service from the Metropolitan Water District.”

McCarthy said the city should be buying water from the cheapest source. “Why would you buy something, make something that costs double when it’s continually failing and breaking down and it can’t produce what it’s supposed to produce?” she said.

Leaks from two Chevron stations years ago of the gasoline additive MtBE, which was discovered in San Juan groundwater in January 2008, reduced production at the groundwater recovery plant at an estimated financial hit of $7.2 million, according to an audit released in December by Ralph Andersen & Associates.

The audit said costs related to the plant contributed significantly to financial problems that left the city’s water utility with an $8.2 million deficit in spring 2011. However, the audit said the plant investment would generate lower water rates in the long run.

The groundwater plant opened in 2004 and San Juan took over its operations in November 2008 from SouthWest Water Co. To operate it for a year costs about $4.6 million, according to a city report last year.

The Capistrano Taxpayers Association is suing the city over its water rates, claiming San Juan Capistrano is violating a state law that requires a rate structure based on cost of service.

San Juan adopted a tiered rate structure in early 2010 as a result of a rate study completed in December 2009. In 2010, water customers saw separate rate increases of 22 percent and 18 percent, on average. A 3 percent increase took effect in July this year, and the city has said there will be 3 percent annual increases until 2014, when another rate study is planned. San Juan’s water rates are lower than some area agencies but higher than the median.

The city has obtained a $606,000 federal grant toward a $2.1 million expansion of the groundwater plant that would increase its maximum water output to 7.2 million gallons per day from 5.6 million. Its current production target is about 5.2 million gallons daily.

Officials say the balance of the expansion cost will be funded through Proposition 50, a statewide bond initiative approved in 2002 for water projects.

Marantz said that while he supports a local water supply, “I think we need more transparency in our water department. … Our residents expressed a lot of questions about rates.”

I-5/ORTEGA HIGHWAY

With one of the largest highway projects in Orange County set to begin in January, the candidates told Monday’s audience of more than 50 people what they would do to prepare the city for the California Department of Transportation’s $86.2 million renovation of the I-5/Ortega Highway interchange.

The project will create more of a traffic mess during construction, but when complete, it will improve traffic flow at one of the worst choke points in the county, according to Caltrans.

“There’s going to be pain, and I can’t deny that,” Allevato said. “But I’m committed to make sure we have good communication, we protect our business community (and) our residents.”

McCarthy suggested a website to provide residents with round-the-clock updates of the project’s status.

Byrnes said protecting the downtown business area would be his primary objective, possibly through loosening sign restrictions.

Marantz said synchronizing traffic lights on Del Obispo Street would help alleviate congestion.

HISTORICAL CHARACTER

The candidates were asked about the city’s decision to sell Ortega Highway property containing the Parra Adobe and the Harrison House, both of which are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Marantz said he favors finding private donors to preserve the structures. “I find it very hard in these times for the city to find the funds to do it themselves,” he said.

Byrnes said it was a good decision as long as the city makes appropriate partnerships.

Kerr supported the decision, pointing to strong regulations for historic preservation.