Brent Hastey running for Yuba Water Agency board, South Division
One in a series.
Leading up to the June 7 direct primary election, the Appealdemocrat will be running a series of candidate profiles that will allow each person running for a contested office the chance to either introduce themselves or remind those who they are and where they stand.
The Appeal-democrat sent five simple questions to candidates. Each candidate who is running for a contested office has been given the opportunity to respond.
The following are answers provided by Brent Hastey, a member of the Yuba Water Agency Board of Directors who represents the South Division. He will be facing off against Wayne Bishop.
Q: What is the biggest challenge facing Yuba County water users/ residents and how do you plan to address or fix it?
A: The biggest challenge is ensuring that the Yuba Water Agency invests in the projects that make profound, positive impacts for Yuba County residents. The two projects that have the largest impact for the greatest number of citizens are flood safety and lower electrical costs.
Our best investment for flood safety is building the ARC (secondary) spillway at New Bullard’s Bar Reservoir/dam.
Lower electrical costs could best be accomplished by working with Yuba County and incorporated cities within Yuba County to form a Community Choice Aggregate (CCA) non-profit power company. We could then provide power to Yuba County residents at a lower cost than what they are currently paying.
I will continue to work with the Board of Supervisors, staff and state leaders to implement these projects.
Q: How will your continued presence on the board help the residents of Yuba County?
A: My tagline is “Experience Means Everything” and in this case, it truly does. I began my service to the public 36 years ago when I became
a member of Reclamation District 784, a local water district. There is a reason there is a water drop on my signs and in my campaign brand; water is my field of expertise. It’s what I know best! The same could be said for Mr. Bishop and pumpkins.
California is facing the worst drought in California history. The statistics are staggering. However, thanks to an incredible strategy that we developed and have deployed for many years, Yuba County will be one of the only counties in the state that will be able to provide a full allocation of water to every Yuba County farmer, despite their commodity. That’s incredible!
Yuba County families won’t have to worry about many of the water issues that the rest of the state will struggle with. Why? Yuba County has the right people in the right places doing excellent work. Now is not the time for change. Now is the time to stay the course and keep the most experienced leaders working in the field(s) that they know best.
Q: How has your past experience prepared you for a role as director?
A: As I mentioned I began my service to the public 36 years ago when I became a member of Reclamation District 784, a local water district. I later ran for and was elected to the Yuba County Board of Supervisors where I spent two terms serving the wonderful residents of Yuba County and my district.
My experience serving on the Yuba Water Board representing the residents of the southern portion of Yuba County has given me deeper insight into local, regional and even national water issues. My service on the Association of California Water Agencies where I was selected to serve as President (20182020),
allowed me the opportunity to make hundreds of connections throughout California and represent Yuba Water Agency on a statewide stage with 400+ member units.
My wife and I opened the doors to our small business, Plumas Lake Self Storage, when our family was younger and I understand what it means to sign both sides of a check. I use that same fiscally conservative lens when I consider expenditures and projects for the Yuba Water Agency.
I have held other positions as well, but one that brings me a great deal of personal pride is with the civic organization for which
I’m involved, South Yuba County Rotary. It was an honor to serve as Governor for Rotary District 5180.
Another passion project that I’m proud to have been a part of is being the Founding Chairman for the Yuba-sutter Economic Development Corporation, an organization that has provided assistance to local businesses, nonprofit organizations and government municipalities since it opened its doors more than two decades ago.
One thing that voters can be assured of when electing an experienced leader is that projects get moved forward more swiftly because experienced leaders know how to navigate the system, cut through bureaucratic red tape and bring projects to completion.
Q: What factors do you consider in your decisions as a director?
A: I first consider the safety of our project and the people of Yuba County. Next, I ask myself will this project or investment make a long-term difference in the lives of Yuba County residents. I always challenge myself and others to “DREAM BIG”, just as our forefathers, those who built Yuba Water
did decades ago, so my next consideration would be to ask myself “is this dreaming big?”. Finally, my last consideration is to ask myself, “will this create a thriving Yuba County economy that so that our children and grandchildren will choose to stay in our amazing county?”.
Throughout my consideration process I engage my constituents and receive feedback from those who have expressed a real interest in Yuba County’s future. Feedback from the electorate is always among my top considerations as it should be.
Q: What one thing should residents know about you before making a decision on who to vote for?
A: As a lifelong Yuba County resident, I’m fully invested in our community and have served in both
volunteer and elected capacities. I have a servant’s heart and truly feel called to serve my community through my work at the Water Agency and the civic organization I’m involved with.
Owning a small business, I know the challenges facing small businesses in the community as they struggle at times with signing both sides of a check. Those same struggles are felt by local families daily, weekly and monthly. With the price of EVERYTHING on the rise, including gas, groceries and housing, we must look for ways to provide relief, when possible, to area families.
I have always been a strong supporter of public safety. We created the Bill Shaw Public Safety Grant program in the past 6 years and have provided grant funding to every
fire and law enforcement agency in Yuba County. I support increasing the Bill Shaw Public Safety Grant program amounts in the future to better support Yuba County’s public safety agencies in a more meaningful way.
I support the construction of both the Marysville and Wheatland bypasses as emergency evacuation routes in case of a future water emergency and evacuation. We must be able to move people out of an area swiftly in case of a local or regional catastrophe.
I am truly humbled to be your voice on the Yuba Water Agency and I take that responsibility very seriously. It would be an honor to continue to serve you as Water Director (South) for Yuba Water Agency. I ask for your vote on June 7th.