BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — The new $7 million East Niles facility aims to provide better service to residents.
- East Niles Community Service District has opened a new $7 million facility to enhance water and sewer services.
- The new building is expected to better serve a community of around 32,000 people with improved operations.
- Tim Ruiz, General Manager, states the facility will provide more space for customer interactions and service delivery.
- The project is funded through long-term certificates of participation, with a repayment period of 30 years.
- Operations at the new facility are set to begin on March 24, improving access for residents.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
The East Niles Community Services District is moving to a new location. And they say this location will better serve its clients.
The East Niles Water District was formed in 1954 to operate a water system. In 1960, the district expanded to include sewer services. The district serves a community of approximately 32,000 people, and has about 8,400 water connections.
The building the district is currently in was built in the 1980s, and has reached a limit.
Tim Ruiz, is the General Manager, at The East Niles Community Service District, and he says, "Now as we get bigger, that location isn't very conducive for what we do when it comes to pipe deliveries, valve deliveries, and parking for employees. We've outgrown it, so."
The new building sits on 9 acres, has a warehouse at a cost of 7 million 67 thousand dollars.
It was financed through Certificates of Participation, which involve a long-term repayment plan spanning over 30 years. Ruiz is hopeful the facility will have an expected useful life of 50 to 60 years. "Well, we've already analyzed our system, and we have room for growth. If you look to the north of our new building, there's a lot of vacant land which actually is within the city of Bakersfield, but there's nearby infrastructure where expansions or extensions could be made to accommodate the growth." Ruiz said.
Ruiz says this new facility offers more room for residents to pay their bills and meet with engineers and developers. "It's more centrally located. The other building is located way at the west end of our district boundaries. Now, this is going to be more centrally located for customers to come to, and then we also have a bigger boardroom, so when we have public hearings, we can accommodate more people." He said
Ruiz says at the new location, there will still be a drive-up window for people to pay their bills.
The new location of this facility is 7443 Niles St.
Operations in the new building are set for March 24.
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