::: COMMUNITY NEWS

RMA is set to vote Tuesday on Mutual Benefit Agreement

See what your neighbors say about this in Community Views Published Thursday, January 16, 2003 The Rancho Murieta Association is set to vote Tuesday on a measure that would put into effect the Mutual Benefit Agreement, the controversial blueprint for the final build-out of the community. "If the public has a problem with it, then I want to hear from them," Board President Mike Schieberl said Thursday night of the vote. "Come what may, we feel this is in the best interests of the community at large. If people don't like it, then I guess they're going to have to do what they need to do to object to it." The Mutual Benefit Agreement was negotiated for 2 1/2 years by the RMA board and Murieta Holdings, development agents for the Pension Trust Fund of the Operating Engineers. The trust has been developing Rancho Murieta since the 1970s. The Mutual Benefit Agreement was made public in October. In November, the RMA conducted a 3 1/2-hour session on the document, answering questions from the public. Many of those at the meeting encouraged the board to delay any action until the community had enough time to digest the document.

Recent coverage • RMA answers development questions posed by residents (January 14, 2003) • RMA releases document that led to development talks (December 30, 2002) • RMA won't act immediately on development agreement, board says (November 20, 2002) • RMA releases draft of Mutual Benefit Agreement (October 18, 2002) • Pop-up window: Click for full archive of development coverage -- news, maps, photos and more

Earlier this week, the RMA released answers to questions posed at the November meeting.

The agenda for Tuesday's regular monthly meeting says the board will vote to make the MBA the settlement of a legal dispute that has roots a decade old. A tentative settlement was negotiated five years ago, but the final settlement hasn't been reached.

Schieberl said the Pension Trust Fund, a player in the long-running legal dispute, suggested the MBA serve as the final settlement. Tuesday's action would make the MBA an addendum to the tentative settlement, which is called the Letter Agreement.

So in essence, Tuesday's vote is a vote on the MBA?

"In a roundabout way, it is, yes," Schieberl said. "...Because the MBA will then become enforceable under the Letter Agreement ... as the settlement to the lawsuit. Yes, in essence, the MBA will then come into full force."

He said the Pension Trust Fund is getting impatient about the long-running drama.

"The pension trust's legal staff is at a point where they feel we've taken too long on this," he said, "and their counsel has been to just drop the MBA and go back to court with the Letter Agreement and we'll dance in court."

The RMA published the meeting agenda on Thursday, a day earlier than usual.

"I want the public to know what we're doing," said Schieberl, "so that if there are any concerns, or any questions, anybody wants to come to the board meeting on Tuesday night and voice their opinion, they will have had an opportunity to know it's coming."