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  • 17 Nov 2021 by Matt Stone

    SANTA CLARITA – In response to persistent, exceptional drought conditions throughout the Santa Clarita Valley and the state, SCV Water activated Stage 1 of its Water Shortage Contingency Plan and Water Conservation and Water Supply Shortage Ordinance this week.

    Stage 1 establishes a framework to prohibit common, but easy to correct, water waste practices. These activities will convert wasted water to beneficial use for future years should drought conditions persist and will assist the Valley with the Governor's 15% of 2020 voluntary conservation call.

    “Our customer’s efforts are trending in the right direction, but we still need to work together to ramp up additional conservation across the Santa Clarita Valley, so we can achieve our voluntary target,” said SCV Water’s General Manager Matt Stone. “We’ve saved during past droughts, and we’re confident our customers will take this call to practice voluntary conservation to heart.”

    California has entered its third year of drought and reservoirs remain at critically low levels. These conditions prompted Governor Newsom to proclaim a statewide drought State of Emergency and call on all Californians to voluntarily reduce their water usage by 15%. Additionally, as the statewide conservation response in July and August fell short of the goal, the governor’s emergency proclamation directs agencies to execute their urban Water Shortage Contingency Plans to supplement voluntary conservation. Stage 1 of the Agency’s Water Shortage Contingency Plan and Water Conservation Supply Shortage Ordinance not only support water conservation through strategies prioritizing education and engagement, but also includes prohibition of certain wasteful water practices.

    In light of both statewide and local hydrologic conditions, consecutive dry water years, record low precipitation, and in response to the governor’s emergency proclamations, SCV Water has proactively implemented strategies to mitigate potential supply shortages, educate the public on the status and impacts of the current drought, and to encourage water conservation.

    “SCV Water is drought-ready,” said SCV Water’s Sustainability Manager Matt Dickens. “Curbing water waste, especially outdoors, is simple and low cost, and SCV Water offers our customers many programs to increase water efficiency. We are here to help.”

    Stage 1 Explained

    The Stage 1 action encourages customers to voluntarily reduce their water use by a minimum of 10% and to participate in the many available programs to increase water-use efficiency, including:

    • Rebates for turf replacement, smart irrigation controllers, high-efficiency irrigation upgrades and more
    • Free Home Drought Ready Check-Ups
    • Irrigation tune-ups
    • Leak detection device incentives
    • Online WaterSMART Workshop, gardening classes and other resources In addition, watering restrictions take effect that prohibit the following actions:
    • Allowing runoff onto non-irrigated areas when irrigating with potable (drinking) water
    • Using hoses with no shutoff nozzles to wash cars
    • Using potable water to wash sidewalks, driveways and hardscapes
    • Using potable water in decorative water features that do not recirculate the water
    • Irrigating outdoors during and within 48 hours following precipitation of a quarter inch or more
    • The irrigation with potable water of ornamental turf on public street medians

    “We know that many of our customers already embrace these water-wise practices, and just hope to remind them that these simple actions can achieve significant savings,” said Dickens.

    Community Engagement

    To further support these efforts, SCV Water will increase public outreach and education for our customers and community. The Agency has also partnered with the City of Santa Clarita and L.A. County Waterworks District #36 to form a Sustainable Water Action Team (SWAT), to coordinate drought efforts and outreach. SCV Water will continue to monitor the situation to determine the best next course of action.

    For more information and resources, visit www.DroughtReadySCV.com.

     

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    About SCV Water:

    The Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency (SCV Water) is a full-service regional water agency located in the Santa Clarita Valley. SCV Water provides water service to approximately 75,000 business and residential customers. It was formed on January 1, 2018, when local water suppliers combined into one integrated, regional water provider. More information can be found at www.yourSCVwater.com

    For more information, please contact:

    Kathie Martin Communications Manager SCV Water kmartin@scvwa.org

  • 02 Nov 2021 by Vance Wealth

    At the end of each year, most business owners file their taxes with one simple goal: to save as much as possible on the next return. But at Vance Wealth, we take a different approach to tax planning.

    Of course, we use creative tax strategies to help our clients maximize their savings each year, but we also look at the bigger picture. We plan for the present with the future in mind.

    It’s a balance – and it’s where we excel.

    “Business owners of all sizes have the prudent goal of minimizing their tax burden, but the idea is not to avoid taxes, simply for the sake of avoiding taxes,” explained John Vance, President and Visionary of Vance Wealth. “Our goal is to maximize your savings over the course of your lifetime by making strategic and intentional choices today.”

    That’s how we help our clients forge an achievable path to something greater, and we want to help you do the same. Here are three tax strategies to help your business save on taxes in the long run.

    1. Tax Planning

    Refreshing your tax plan encourages you to rethink your approach to tax savings, by creating a long-term plan to lower the cost in the future. Sometimes, it’s just a matter of asking the right question: How do I create more tax savings over the life of my business, not just this year?

    1. Charitable Giving Deductions

    The tax code for charitable giving deductions changed significantly in recent years, and if you haven’t adjusted your strategy, you’re missing out on valuable savings. Similar to the change in mindset required for big-picture tax planning, charitable giving deductions require a little forward thinking. By planning for a lifetime of giving, you save more and give more. That’s what we call a win-win.

    1. Payroll Structure

    Many business owners don’t realize it, but how you decide to pay yourself and your family impacts your payroll tax and personal income taxes. The amount you pay yourself, as well as the pay structure you use, can make a big difference in your tax plan. For example, if your kids have part-time jobs at your company, simply adding them to payroll can help you save.

    We’ve helped dozens of clients review their business and tax plans to save thousands up front – and achieve even more in the long run. If you haven’t reviewed your plan in the last year, we would love to help you see the difference thoughtful planning can make, now and for years to come.

    To book a complimentary consultation with one of our Wealth Advisors, please visit our website vancewealth.com/book-an-appointment/ to set up an appointment.

     

    Vance Wealth, Inc. (“Vance Wealth”) is a registered investment advisor. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where Vance Wealth and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure. The information provided is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice and it should not be relied on as such. It should not be considered a solicitation to buy or an offer to sell a security. It does not take into account any investor’s particular investment objectives, strategies, tax status or investment horizon. You should consult your attorney or tax advisor. The views expressed in this commentary are subject to change based on market and other conditions. These documents may contain certain statements that may be deemed forward‐looking statements. Please note that any such statements are not guarantees of any future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected. Any projections, market outlooks, or estimates are based upon certain assumptions and should not be construed as indicative of actual events that will occur.