Department of Water Resources
A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
August 1, 2007
5. Agencies, Programs, People
J LEVEE ISSUES:
Property owners vote for assessment to replace J levee - Chico Enterprise Record
SANTA CLARA VALLEY WATER AGENCY:
Editorial: So far, so good on Santa Clara Valley water board; MEMBERS OPENLY TAKE BACK CONTROL OF CRUCIAL AGENCY - San Jose Mercury News
J LEVEE ISSUES:
Property owners vote for assessment to replace J levee
By Barbara Arrigoni, staff writer
Only 11 residents showed up for a public hearing at
Reclamation District board members LeeAnn Grigsby-Puente, Mike Billiou and Dawitt Zeleke led the meeting, which started with a report by Richard Jeness, an engineer who, with two others, developed the analysis for the assessment.
The assessment will provide the district with $78,779 a year over the next three years.
Jeness said the assessment was based on land-use already established by the county, using information from the Assessor's Office.
There weren't many questions among the small group gathered Tuesday night. One man asked how the district board was established and questioned when notices were sent to owners.
Attorney William Paris answered that the district was established through a petition and notices were sent. Madrean Benton said notices were sent in November 2005. The district was approved by the Local Agency Formation Commission and board members were appointed in the spring of 2006.
Another man said he favored the vote, but voiced concern that some property owners who aren't
"At least 100 people said, 'We'll see you there,' ... we don't have 100 people here," Grigsby-Puente said Tuesday night
After the close of balloting, the votes were counted in an open session, not in a closed session as had earlier been told to the Enterprise-Record.
Of 705 ballots cast, 217 were accepted, carrying a weighted vote per acre or parcel. Rounded to the nearest whole number, the yes votes totaled 41,259 and the no votes 5,516. Billiou said afterward about 82 percent of those who voted approved the assessment, and considered it a solid support.
There were no invalid ballots.
The assessment will not cover costs of maintaining the new levee once construction is completed. At that time, another assessment will have to be approved.
After the vote count was certified and the board passed a resolution. A happy Grigsby-Puente summed things up: "We're on our way."
The new levee is estimated to cost $55 million to build. #
http://www.chicoer.com/ci_6513893
SANTA CLARA VALLEY WATER AGENCY:
Editorial: So far, so good on Santa Clara Valley water board; MEMBERS OPENLY TAKE BACK CONTROL OF CRUCIAL AGENCY
Sunshine is often seen as the antithesis of water, but not on Monday.
That's when the elected board of the Santa Clara Valley Water District, which provides water for 1.8 million residents and most businesses in the county, publicly put several controversial issues involving Chief Executive Officer Stan Williams on the table.
They debated - sometimes at length - and made decisions that will improve the board's oversight of the agency. They also accepted an apology from Williams, who was both criticized and praised.
So far, so good. Having abdicated its authority over the years, the board took back control. And the openness is a hopeful sign for the future.
However, there's at least one other spot that needs more light. The board did not address the seven closed sessions it has held so far this year - an average of once a month - to discuss "public employee performance evaluation" of Williams. That's too bad, because public give-and-take about the top executive of a public agency is healthy.
The water district is a critical agency for
That changed in June when Williams announced he had hired board member Greg Zlotnick for an unadvertised, $184,000-a-year job as "special counsel to the CEO." Zlotnick, who has a solid resume on water issues, has since resigned from the board. Williams apologized for failing to advertise the position and to notify the board of his intent to hire Zlotnick.
On Monday, the board further reasserted proper control by demanding final authority over the hiring of 33 "unclassified" employees, with annual salaries that average $152,000. Three executives - the legal counsel, chief financial officer and clerk of the board - will now report directly to the board, instead of reporting only to Williams.
The meeting was a good first step toward a change of culture at the water district. And the sunshine helped. #
DWR's California Water News is distributed to California Department of Water Resources management and staff, for information purposes, by the DWR Public Affairs Office. For reader's services, including new subscriptions, temporary cancellations and address changes, please use the online page: http://listhost1.water.ca.gov/mailman/listinfo/water_news. DWR operates and maintains the State Water Project, provides dam safety and flood control and inspection services, assists local water districts in water management and water conservation planning, and plans for future statewide water needs. Inclusion of materials is not to be construed as an endorsement of any programs, projects, or viewpoints by the Department or the State of
No comments:
Post a Comment