Water District "Reform
Board" sets agenda
To impose controls on public participation?
By Jay O'Brien
At the December 6 Special Board meeting of the Rio Linda/Elverta
Community Water District (RLECWD), newly elected Board President
Darrell Nelson was asked why a special meeting was called, at extra
expense to the District. Nelson responded "We're trying to get started
as a Reform Board... and we wanted to get a head start." "Reform Board"
President Nelson has placed several items on the agenda for the Regular
Board meeting to be held Monday, December 20.
Nelson said "We were overwhelmingly elected; the people, the voters,
the residents, the ratepayers, truly spoke out. In my opinion, it could
be something different than that, but I'm going to assume that they
wanted change."
One Reform Board change scheduled for possible adoption would regulate
and restrict future citizen participation at Board meetings. This
proposal would change the present policy of informal meetings that is
now printed on every Board agenda.
The proposed new set of rules for the public would be attached to each
agenda and posted at the entrance of the meeting area. The new rules
include, "Each individual addressing a question or comment to the Board
will stand and identify themselves for the record...", "Rude or
questionable behavior will not be tolerated", citizen allegations of
misconduct or illegal activity by the Board may only be submitted in a
signed statement in writing for investigation by the Board, and "No
allegations may be presented at a Board meeting until the required
investigation has been completed and published at a regularly scheduled
Board meeting." The new rules would also limit questions from each
member of the public to a fixed three minutes per item.
Another change would be the appointment of a Sergeant at Arms for the
Board. "The Sergeant at Arms shall have the power to enforce any ruling
by the President or by a majority of the Board during a Board meeting",
according to the proposal.
Also at the December 6th Special meeting, Board President Nelson
appointed "ad hoc" committees consisting of two Board members each to
committees for Employee/Retiree Health Benefits; Community Services
District (CSD); Budget/Fiscal; Infrastructure; and District Policies.
In addition, Nelson appointed a Public Relations "czar".
With the exception of the CSD committee, whose meetings are open to the
public, the committees could meet without formal public notice, gather
information and then publish their findings at a Board meeting open to
the public. The December 20 public Board meeting agenda calls for
"Discussion / Action Regarding Committee Work Plans" of these "ad hoc"
committees.
Another scheduled item for the "Reform Board" is a two-page "Ethics
Policy" statement to be considered for adoption.
As some of the proposals and committees could conflict with
California's Ralph M. Brown act covering open public meetings of local
agencies, RLECWD General Counsel Stacey Sheston will provide guidance
to the Board during its deliberation. RLECWD has counsel in attendance
at every Board meeting to assure the Board's compliance with the law.
Regular business items scheduled for discussion and action are the 7th
& K Streets water main project, a booster pump station, and the
Countryside Equestrian Estates Project of the Elverta Specific Plan.
The December 20 Regular Board Meeting will be held at the Water
District Office, 730 L Street, Rio Linda, at 7:00 P.M.
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