Desert Water Agency Special Meeting - February 13

The audio recording of this special meeting of the Desert Water Agency Board of Directors is available here. This was a special meeting of the board to interview candidates for the empty board position created by the retirement of Ron Starrs. The 9 candidates were scheduled to appear before the board at 15 minute intervals and were asked to wait outside the board room until their time came. This was different from the process the MSWD board followed when filling the vacancy created by the death of Mary Gibson. The meetings are public, so they can't actually prevent a candidate from sitting in and listening to all the other interviews, but I'm sure doing so would greatly lessen the chances of being selected.

Dr. Ralph Villani

Jim Cioffi began the interview. Dr. Villani has had a career as an educator and administrator. Mr Cioffi asked him to say what he knew about the water business. "Well you have a very impressive website," Dr. Villani began. [Sorry to interrupt so soon with an opinion, but that's a good start if you're a kid looking to be an intern in the IT department - not such a good start if you are seeking a seat on the board.] He proceeded to cite some of what he learned from the website. He said he knows expenses are rising due to the need to maintain infrastructure, rising pension costs, personnel costs. He said the agency has the confidence of its customers.

He's had a lot of experience on boards and knows how they operate. He holds an elected position on the board of trustees of the California Retired Teachers Association. Here's his bio from that site:

Dr. Ralph Villani currently serves as Area IX Director. Prior to this position he served as Division 89 President and First Vice President. Before he retired in 1991, Dr. Villani worked as a high school teacher, elementary and high school principal, assistant superintendent and superintendent. He also was a Board Member for the Santa Monica Community College and worked as a part-time university professor. Dr. Villani is an active member of AARP and currently serves on the Region IV Management Team. He and wife Barbara have two children and five grandchildren. His personal goal for CalRTA is to "increase membership and motivate others to seek leadership roles."

He said the biggest problem CRTA has is being confused with all the other pension funds. The California State Teachers Retirement System "is really in pretty good shape," he said. "Our investments brought us 15% last year," he said. [Okay, at this point I think the meeting should have gone into recess so we could have conferred with Dr. Villani to find out exactly how they have their money invested and then headed out to start moving our own money around.]

Pat Oygar asked what brought him to water, why was he applying for this position. He said he is not applying for financial gain. He doesn't need any medical benefits. He believes in public service and giving back. He thinks he would find DWA interesting and he could make a contribution and make intelligent decisions.

He's on the board of the Palm Springs Community Concert Association.

Craig Ewing asked what he thinks are the keys to successful service on a board. Dr. Villani said it's important to remember that you are just one person on a board of five. You work together and hope it's harmonious. If you don't agree with a decision the board has made, you have a duty to support that decision after it is made. He said that when he has come out on the short end of a board vote, he doesn't take it personally.

His wife was a teacher. His son and a daughter are teachers here in the valley. Another daughter is at an internet firm in L.A. He has six grandchildren.

Steve Bigley

Tom Kieley started the interview. Mr. Bigley said he is a long time resident. He has a 23-year career in water. Water quality has been his focus, but environmental compliance and groundwater replenishment have been other things he has focused on. Over the past 20 years there has been a focus on pathogens, disinfection, things that are more focused on industrial and surface water. Now we are seeing a shift to regulations that will have a greater effect on groundwater systems. He cited the arsenic rule as an example, which doubled the cost of providing water in the east valley. The nutrients, nitrates and salt management will be major issues.

Mr. Kieley said he knew Mr. Bigley's father and dad. He asked Mr. Bigley about potential conflicts with him being a CVWD employee. He answered that he saw no conflict. He sees nothing but a cooperative relationship with DWA and CVWD. He cited the USGS cooperative programs for monitoring the water basin as an example. But, he said, if there is a need to make an agreement on a mutual matter, he could recuse himself. "In the water industry we all need to work together as a team."

Mr. Cioffi said he used to buy gasoline from Mr. Bigley's father, and his grandfather repaired trucks for him in his machine shop. He said Mr. Bigley's background in water is exemplary. But he had a concern about either real or perceived conflicts of interest.

Mrs. Oygar asked Mr. Bigley if he thought the DWA was headed in the right or wrong direction. Mr. Bigley said an amazing job has been done throughout the desert to keep water rates at their level and provide service. From early on there was a recognition that we needed to do more to protect our water supply. In the early 1900s residents of the Coachella Valley were already taking steps to conserve and replenish the water supply. We are the beneficiaries of that long term thinking. DWA has been doing a great job going on the right path, he added.

Mrs. Oygar said that Mr. Bigley also spends a lot of time advocating for water quality legislation and regulations that are based on sound science, and that water agencies should be able to meet their community's needs in an efficient and economically feasible way. Mr. Bigley said that they are succeeding at meeting those goals, but there are regulations in the pipeline that will challenge the desert communities. He said one of those is hexavalent chromium. He was interviewed by the Desert Sun for over an hour on the subject a few days earlier. "Let's hope it turns out good," he said, referring to the future Desert Sun article. [Hope is all we have.] His work with the Western Coalition of Arid States [wow, that's a new one to me! "A grassroots organization, WESTCAS is dedicated to encouraging the development of water programs and regulations which assure adequate supplies of high quality water for those living in the arid regions while protecting the environment."] He said regulations written in Virginia and DC sometimes do not reflect a real understanding of water issues in the west - like the fact that our rivers don't have water in them. They were part of the effort to make sure that arsenic regulations were more practical and take affordability into account. He thinks that "point of use" arsenic removal can be feasible for small trailer parks and smaller systems, but the State of California is resistant to that idea.

Mr. Ewing asked what he considered keys to successful service on a board. The answer was providing the employees the necessary tools and resources, insuring that rates match true costs, making sure the agency does a good job of communicating with customers about the value of the service, meeting the challenges to assure that the agency can provide that service. He thinks consumers don't realize the true value of water.

Mr. Ewing said that CVWD has tiered rates and he himself ran for the DWA board on tiered rates. After that the DWA board undertook a rate structure study and he was convinced that until fundamental circumstances change, tiered rates do not serve DWA. Mr, Ewing said he sees a conflict between working on one board that has tiered rates and being on another board that does not have tiered rates. Mr. Bigley said each agency needs to look at their objectives, their mission, and their consumer use. That drives what's the best rate system for an area. Mr. Ewing said that in DWA and CVWD are about as close as you can get in similarity. Climate, water source, and other similarities in domestic use. Mr. Ewing said he is concerned about the fact that Mr. Bigley works for one district and wants to be on the board of another. [I should point out that Mr. Ewing, a director on the board of DWA, works for the City of Palm Springs.] Mr. Bigley said he is not committed for or against tiered rates. It's important to look at what's good for the DWA. Financial considerations need to be taken into account. Water quality varies quite a bit throughout the valley. He cited hexavalent chromium as one of the differences. DWA has very low levels. CVWD has levels five times as high.

Mr. Ewing asked him to think of a time when he was working on a board or committee where a conflict on a tough decision had to be resolved. Mr. Bigley said he participated in a cost of water group formed when G.W. Bush took office as President. They were looking at the cost of a new rule for arsenic. There were various stakeholders from across the country. One of the questions was whether the cost of meeting state requirements should be considered when the EPA set standards. California has more stringent hazardous waste standards. When you remove arsenic from water, you are left with a hazardous waste: arsenic. The cost of dealing with that in California is more expensive than in other states. The EPA did not want to consider that cost. Mr. Bigley was able to find allies from other areas of the country. New Jersey, for instance, has more strict standards on radon, so he could get some support from the New Jersey rep.

Mr. Bigley said he supports DWA 100% and thinks they have done a great job.

Marcus Fuller

Mrs. Oygar began the interview. She said Mr. Fuller's application was very clear as to what he saw as upcoming challenges for water agencies and all public agencies: "To deliver the most complete and effective customer service as efficiently as possible." She asked him how he thought the DWA was meeting that challenge. He said he thinks it's doing very well. Chevron Energy Solutions has been engaged by the City of Palm Springs to do a citywide energy audit, which includes irrigation and water. Chevron told him they don't see water rates this low across the state.

He said DWA must stay current and involved with issues like the delta smelt, the cost of State Water Project deliveries, arsenic in the Colorado River, the capital costs in maintaining infrastructure, making sure we're ahead of the game, and to be sure we're not caught by some surprise that would force the agency to impose stiff rate increases.

Mrs. Oygar said Mr. Fuller had made efforts to try to deal with the finances of the Palm Springs wastewater plant in 2011. She said it was an impressive and thorough piece of staff work, but she was very sorry about the outcome. She asked if he thought it was going in the right direction. He said he hopes so, and the issue is coming back to the city council. The sewer rates have not been increased since 1993 in Palm Springs. Some maintenance has been deferred.

Mrs. Oygar asked if he had any thoughts on the relationship between DWA and the City of Palm Springs. He thinks it's been very good. He thinks that he would bring to the board an awareness of what's happening at the city level.

Mr. Ewing asked if he had any service on voluntary boards or committees. Mr. Fuller said he has not. He has been focusing on establishing his professional career. Mr. Ewing asked his question, what do you think are the keys to successful service on a board. Mr. Fuller said it is open-mindedness, not being biased, making sure all the facts are considered, fairness to the parties involved. Mr. Ewing asked for an example where there was some disagreement among people he was involved with and how he participated in the resolution. He gave the example of the Belardo Road bridge. Originally the bridge was proposed as four lanes, but the community was opposed to such a big bridge. Further study showed that a two lane bridge would be appropriate.

Mr. Kieley said that although the DWA enjoys a good relationship with "the city" [throughout this meeting "the city" referred to Palm Springs - never Cathedral City or Desert Hot Springs], but sometimes there are differences. He mentioned an issue with some water meter specifications. How would Mr. Fuller handle such differences if he were on the DWA board? His answer was that first he would make sure there is no legal conflict. If there were a legal conflict, he would recuse himself from the board's decision making process.

There was a question about disagreements between DWA and Palm Springs on issues of easements, rights of way and street paving. How would Mr. Fuller resolve those differences? Mr. Fuller said he thought the two agencies had come to agreements on those matters. If not, then they need to work to a mutual agreement. But if the issue re-arose, how would he react to that? His answer, again, was the city and DWA would need to sit down and come to an agreement, whether he is on the board or not. He cited an example where the city constructed a stormwater outfall in the Baristo channel and it impacted DWA more than expected.

John Brown

Mr. Ewing asked what Mr. Brown considered the keys to successful service on a board. Mr. Brown said one of the most important things was to listen. Not to be a passive listener, but an active listener - getting out in the community, meeting with people, attending events and activities to hear the concerns of people. He thinks he has learned to do that through his work with nonprofits. For 30 years volunteer boards have been his boss. He has had to learn to be responsive to a diverse range of interests, which is necessary if you're going to be effective in representing a community.

Mr. Ewing asked how his service on the board of Mission Springs Water District has affected his view of how boards work, and his role as a board member. Mr. Brown said he went into it with his eyes open. He tends to be one who decides on a goal and then selects the best path to get there. There weren't a lot of surprises on the MSWD board. The board was changing and now there are three board members who have been there less than a full term. [I think the correct number is two, Bowman and Martin.] He was executive director of the Desert AIDS Project for five years. Butting heads and mixing it up with directors is the way you get to the best possible outcome. He has never hesitated to do that. He loves the MSWD board and is very proud to be on it and to be re-elected. He has learned a lot about water and its importance in the last five years. He sees DWA as an extension of the work he has already done.

Mr. Cioffi asked "Why the DWA now, instead of MSWD?" Mr. Brown answered that opportunities come along, and timing may be exactly what you want it to be. He's happy where he is, "but the opportunity to move up the DWA board came along with the retirement of Director Starrs." [Yes, that's an accurate quote.] This is the timing, he said. He has unfinished work at MSWD, especially groundwater protection [sewers]. Working with DWA he can still be part of that, and maybe even more helpful. There are a couple of thousand septic tanks that still sit over the headwaters of our valley's aquifers. "I'm as ready as I could ever be to take on this responsibility," he said.

He was asked how he might improve relationships between the two districts. Mr. Brown said "representation is representation." There are a lot of differences between the communities on the south side of I-10 and the north side. He lived in Palm Springs for six years and in Desert Hot Springs for six years. It really is a different world. The people are different. Their values and lifestyles are different. He thinks it's important to have representation from someone who actually lives in that community. That's one of the ways relationships improve, simply by having that kind of representation.

Mr. Ewing asked for an example of the different values. Mr. Brown said if you choose to live in Desert Hot Springs or Desert Edge or Mission Lakes, you have chosen to live in a community that's automatically more diverse economically and other ways. The simple act of going to the store and doing your day-to-day activities is very different. The largest low income, working community is in DHS. The ethnicity, the make up of the community is something you choose. That is different on opposite sides of the freeway. Cathedral City and Palm Springs are more developed, more urban, not as rural. That's something people choose for personal reasons.

Mr. Kieley asked what if there's no $30 million grant for sewers in the DHS area. Mr. Brown said we have until 2014 when the assessment district sunsets. It's a ticking time bomb that affects the entire valley. There are little steps that are happening, like an SRF loan [that's the $10 million that got deferred due to the referendum initiative]. There is still the $35 million WRDA authorization sitting there in DC. It just needs to be appropriated. We came within fingertips of getting it a year ago because Senator Boxer recommended appropriation of the full amount. But it didn't come out of committee that way. We can also look forward to the water bond. If it gets approved there will be competitive opportunities. We need to help the entire valley to understand how this problem in DHS affects groundwater for all of us.

Mr. Brown is going to the ACWA conference in DC this year and he is optimistic that Senator Boxer, who now lives in our community, understands. She has been to Mr. Brown's house and seen how the Mission Springs aquifer is the headwaters for the valley. She is passionate about it. But Congress thinks that WRDA is an earmark. "You just don't give up. You keep trying." We've knocked off about half of the septic tanks. We've gotten $1.8 million from the IRWMP will be used for a section over the hot water.

Mr. Kieley said that both the Cathedral City cove neighborhood and Dream Homes neighborhood agreed to tax themselves to replace the septics. He asked if consideration was given to how to sewer the areas in DHS without federal or state money. Mr. Brown reminded him that the existing assessment district will provide matching funds. The residents have already approved it. The district's rates are not high enough to service the debt that would result from financing the whole project with MSWD bonds. It would require a rate increase. Now MSWD is doing a financial feasibility study ["MSWD 2.0"] and it could consider a last ditch effort to finance the sewers. All planning for the sewers is complete.

Mr. Kieley said "You folks have been under some tremendous pressure over there by some folks who just don't understand. Obviously that challenge doesn't look like it's going away. How do you as one of five board members there approach the necessary rate reviews you're that you're going to have to have there and how do you lead the voters to a place there where they understand as well as your board does that rate changes are inevitable?"

Mr. Brown said MSWD is doing it. This financial feasibility study includes a committee of 30 people [it's actually 20] from the community who are looking at every aspect of financing. Everything is open to them. They are seeing that personnel expenses are like 30% of the budget. It's the infrastructure that affects rates. This committee will come up with a plan that will stabilize district finances going into the future. "When you're talking about the mean-spirited initiative, that was really simply a large apartment owner who doesn't live in the district who simply was interested in his own bottom line, spending $10,000 to put people in a parking lot at Stater Bros. and tell them 'Do you want lower water rates?' to get them to sign petitions. He clearly said the reason he picked Desert Hot Springs and Mission Springs Water District is because it was the easiest to get on the ballot. And that had he been successful his intention was to create a movement and come after other districts, and he specifically, in the meetings I had with him, said DWA would be next."

The money MSWD spent to get a legal opinion on the constitutionality of the initiative was money that was well spent. It was an instance where Mr. Brown saw the need for water districts to work together. It could have a ripple effect on everyone. Everyone needs to be involved. MSWD did not seek an injunction, but only a legal opinion on the constitutionality. The proponents did not respond timely, so that's why it was taken off the ballot. But the court finally decided that the initiative was unconstitutional. If the initiative proponents want to do this, they have to go back to the beginning and start over with a new petition that doesn't have the restriction on the powers of future boards. Rate increases will be necessary and water districts need to create a way to include as many people as possible in the process, and that's what MSWD is doing now.

"The lesson was that this person got four well-intentioned members of our community that now pretty much feel like they were used. Had that groups of people been more educated, it may have been harder to find leaders in the community that would step up and be the actual petitioners." The district needs to communicate better with the ratepayers and with the civic groups such as the Women's Club, the Rotary, get them all involved.

Mrs. Oygar asked what DWA is doing right. Mr. Brown said DWA is doing almost everything right. They are aggressive in going after our fair share of the water supply. DWA has done a great job in making big deals that put water in our ground and making sure our interests are taken care of. They have assured that this valley can continue to grow and be healthy. DWA has a really good retail arm, but he really admires what they've done to make sure the Coachella Valley has the water it needs.

Does he have concerns with the finances of MSWD? Mr. Brown said he thinks it's pretty solid. The board has been looking at today and the future. The economic challenges are two-fold: making sure MSWD has adequate replacement funds, and that we have rates that are sufficient to support financing if we need to do that.

He has just started working with the federal policy committee for ACWA and for his entire career he has loved the political side of things. He thinks he can bring a solid reputation to the board. He's fairly well known by "pretty much everyone." Mary Bono Mack is a friend, Senator Boxer has been to his home, county supervisors, every city councilmember (CC, PS, DHS) knows him on a first name basis. Those relationships take years to build. He thinks he's someone who is pleasant to work with. He never pounds the table, but he can be stubborn and somewhat willful. But he has learned to get along and work with others.

Daniel Boyle

Mr. Boyle is an engineer. His parents bought their first home in the area in 1963. He bought a condo here with his wife in 1998 at the Mesquite Country Club. He retired in 2000 and began living here full time. He heard about the board vacancy on the radio. He is interested in this kind of work. He spent 37 years working with various agencies in Orange, Riverside and Los Angeles Counties. He was a district engineer for 4 or 5 agencies in Orange County.

He went on the internet and looked at the DWA website which is a very good website [see my comment about Dr. Villani above.] He summarized the facts from the website, which were fairly similar to those summarized by Dr. Villani. He acknowledged he is not intimately familiar with the DWA, since he has not worked there.

Mrs. Oygar asked him what he thought of tiered rates. His answer was that it has to be decided by each district according to what their customers want. It's a valuable asset. He has worked on some rate studies, but never recommended tiered rates, but it's a viable option.

Mrs. Oygar noted that he has a tremendous amount of experience with reclaimed water and sewer plants. She asked if what he thought of the situation in Palm Springs. Mr. Boyle said he is not intimately familiar with it, but he understood that DWA operated the sewage plant. Mrs. Oygar corrected him, saying DWA does not, but the City of Palm Springs operates it and has contracted it out to a for-profit organization. Mr. Boyle said he is familiar with for-profit organizations running sewage treatment plants, but he's never done that. It wasn't his major area of expertise. It was maybe 20% of his work, sewage projects. Water projects were his primary interest. He was asked his opinion on the general concept of water or sewage systems being run by for-profits versus public agencies. "It all gets down to economics," he said. For-profits have worked very well. It depends some on how large the service area is. DWA is not large, so a for-profit probably would work well.

What about desalinization? Will we be bringing water from the ocean over here one day? Mr. Boyle is not too sure it will ever be brought this far inland, but he knows it is being done in coastal areas. It's viable, but a very high energy use process. That will be a problem if our country doesn't face the fact that we need to do something about our energy source.

Mrs. Oygar said his entire career has been on the engineering side. Why the interest in the policy side? He said they go hand in hand. He has been involved with cities, water agencies, sewer agencies. He has helped get funding for projects. He has helped develop water rates and master plans. He understands how to get the best bang for the buck.

Mr. Ewing asked him about any service on boards or organizations. Mr. Boyle has not served on any boards. He has, though, served on boards of the Orange County Water Association, the American Waterworks Association, the American Public Works Association, San Diego County Water Association, the Inland Counties Water Association. Mr. Ewing asked if those are professional organizations. Mr. Boyle confirmed that they are. When he was running his own firm of 25 people in two offices he was spending 60 to 70 hours a week keeping it going. He did not have the time to serve elsewhere.

Mr. Ewing asked what is the shift in mindset that must occur when switching from providing service to a board to serving on a board. Mr. Boyle is that a board member has responsibilities to the ratepayers. As a consulting engineer his responsibility was to the board.

The question about how he worked with boards when there was a difference of opinion. Mr. Boyle said the question was not entirely clear to him. He was not on boards, but was hired by boards to provide options on project design and construction, etc. Mr. Ewing asked him about AWWA. Mr. Boyle said he was a member of a committee there. It was the membership committee and there was little disagreement there.

Joe Stuart

This is the second time Mr. Stuart has sought appointment to the board. Mr. Kieley said he understood that his former career had made it difficult for him to participate in community service, "but those of us who have known you for a long time know that you've had some of the outside interests that you were able to provide some community service." He asked about how those might position him for service on the DWA board. Mr. Stuart said he was on the board of the Boys & Girls Club of Palm Springs twice. He was also on the board of directors for Crimestoppers. The community has changed over time, but what has not changed are the core values that were the reason the Boys & Girls Club was formed, why Crimestoppers was created, or what DWA is all about. You need good people to continue the values and goals that were set years ago. His water interests go back to 1964 when his family began farming him out during summers to relatives. In 1965 he spent the summer in Paradise, California. In 1965 the Oroville River project was just started. He could go water skiing there. Years later he returned to see the final results, which are now the headwaters for the State Water Project.

Mrs. Oygar said that Mr. Stuart's years as a psychologist may be helpful to the board. Also, his 27 years as an FBI agent specializing in interrogation give him exactly the kind of skills they need when dealing with the state bureaucracy and water projects. She said his frequent attendance at the meetings and his firm knowledge of DWA's finances, he is very up to speed with the agency, she wondered what he thought the priority issues were for DWA. Mr. Stuart said he re-read the 50-year anniversary book. It tells you where you began and where you are now. He also re-read the latest audit. That tells you where you are and where you're going to go in the future. There are, however, unknowns. One of the unknowns is the delta. What input can a resident or this agency make that will have impact on the decisions that relate to the transport of water? Another unknown is what's going to happen to the water supply if we have an earthquake. Since the major population is on the coast, "we're going to be the red headed stepchildren sitting out here until such time as somebody can get to us." We have to be self-sufficient.

He has spoken before the DWA board twice on rate increases. He has seen this board take a very close look at the factors in difficult decisions to keep the rates as low as possible for as long as possible to give the best quality of service and quality of water. He has been pleased to see that when he's had a question, one of the board members will ask that question. Some times he has wondered what the "back story" is on a particular issue, "because you've discussed it amongst yourselves." He is interested in learning the back story. [I hope when he says "back story" he means "subjects discussed in closed session," because there shouldn't be any other subjects discussed by a board out of the hearing of the public when that board is subject to the Brown Act.] He will ask good questions if he is selected for the board. A board member has to pinpoint where the problems might be and then judge what is the best solution.

He was asked what years he served on the Boys & Girls Club and on Crimestoppers. The B & G Club was twice, a period immediately before and a period immediately after the period when Kleindienst was mayor. Crimestoppers was long ago and he left when he saw that they were not conforming to their own bylaws.

Mr. Ewing asked about his experience in serving on a board and finding consensus among members, and what does he consider the keys to a successful board. Mr. Stuart compared it to his careers as a psychologist and investigator. As a psychologist he would discuss a treatment plan with a number of involved parties. As an investigator he would discuss with other investigative agencies and prosecutors, leading to either a resolution before prosecution or going to trial. One needs the ability to have a conversation and discuss the facts and to determine the outcome that will best serve everybody. He's not afraid to argue the facts. But if he loses a vote 4-1, he won't hold it against everybody, and he wouldn't expect anybody to hold it against him. He enjoys a good discussion. He likes to investigate facts.

Mr. Cioffi was most impressed by his expertise in financial issues. He asked him to say more about that. He went back to night school while working full time as a probation officer in Indio. He ended about 10 units shy of a bachelor degree in accounting. But that was enough to qualify him to sit for the FBI accountants exam, which he took and passed. He became an FBI Special Agent in accounting. He was involved in the investigation of white collar crime. He had to understand finances and accounting. Now there is an Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, which was started by a retired FBI agent. He said the DWA does not have problems. It's well run, well managed.

Mr. Stuart has been attending nearly every meeting of the DWA for the past 2 or 3 years.

Keith Davis

Mrs. Oygar thanked him for his service to disadvantaged communities and his involvement in the Cove Improvement District. She described it as tough work with a terrific outcome. She asked what he thought about the job the DWA is doing. Mr. Davis answered that the water is good. He has lived here about 20 years, and he thinks the water has gotten a bit more hard, there is more calcium build up. It doesn't quite taste the same. Water rates are increasing. The residents of the Cathedral City cove have gotten a $35 monthly assessment for sewers.

Mr. Davis is a certified hypnotist. He said the main thing in hypnotherapy is that the subject must be relaxed and open to suggestion and able to create a visualization to overcome some obstacle, such as cigarette smoking or fear of flying. One of the most interesting things is to find misplaced things.

Mr. Ewing said Mr. Davis had served on a couple of commissions for the City of Cathedral City. What does he consider the keys to successful service on a board? Mr. Davis said it was the ability to work with others. There is the need for discussion and coming to a consensus, while listening to advisers who bring you information from out in the field.

What skills would be bring to the board to help fulfill his role when there are differing opinions? He said can get along with others and be part of the team. Ultimately he's looking at keeping costs down and conserving water and protecting the water source forever.

Mr. Ewing clarified he was asking about Mr. Davis's skill sets and what he draws on himself, what are his strengths or attributes that would make him a successful board member. Mr. Davis said things like working with the board on conservation and keeping the price down is continuing the mission, and he can do that. It's also a matter of listening to all the information.

Mr. Cioffi asked him to say something about his job as a home health social worker and how it might relate to this position. Mr. Davis is in the field of gerontology and working with the disabled. He has just finished almost 12 years with Riverside County. He enjoyed working with the Cathedral City commissions. He's excited to work on the water board.

Mr. Cioffi basically repeated his question, asking about skill sets. Mr. Davis said being on the water board is about listening to the input you get from not only the community, but from staff, and then making a decision. He thinks he has the ability to do that. When he was a social worker, every referral involved a crime or potential crime. His job was to investigate that and see if law enforcement needed to be involved, so it was all about decision making.

Mr. Kieley asked him to expand on the impacts of the sewers in the cove area. He understands that nitrites were being found in the groundwater in the wells along Perez Road. That was a real red flag. Those who buy homes in areas where there are already sewers, pay for that cost when they buy. Those who bought in the cove paid less and are paying for this necessary improvement now. Mr. Kieley said his thought that some of the cove residents were still having some difficulty with the hookups. He asked how he would approach that as a member of the board, if his neighbors flagged him down on his way home. Mr. Davis said there have been accommodations for people with low income. Mr. Kieley rephrased his question. Mr. Davis repeated his earlier point about people who bought homes in areas that were already sewered already paid for them, the cove neighborhood got a break for a while and is paying for them now.

Mr. Davis recalled bringing his bill payments to the DWA and dropping them off in the "little fountain" out there [I think he means the little water tower], before he began making bill payments online. He has lived here since 1992.

Rod Bruce

Mr. Ewing said that Mr. Bruce has served on various boards and asked what he considered the keys to successful service on a board. Mr. Bruce said it was the willingness to serve, the ability to listen and make wise decisions based on facts, being able to be a team player, being able to keep your eye on the big picture and staying aware of the goals and aspirations of the organization, and doing your part to achieve them.

He was asked what kills he brings that make him a valuable board member. He's always been a leader, he said. He succeeds because he never goes into a decision making process with a decision already made up. He listens to all sides and evaluates the facts. He's very calm.

Mr. Kieley said Mr. Bruce has a construction background. He has worked in HVAC and windows and doors, he confirmed. Now he provides consulting services for investments. He is currently on the Board of Appeals for the City of Palm Springs. Mr. Bruce said they don't meet very often. There hasn't been a meeting for about a year and a half, he said. He volunteers with the Palm Springs Film Festival, on the marketing side.

Mr. Cioffi asked him what he knows of the DWA. [To his credit, Mr. Bruce did not say he had read the DWA website.] He's been here 10 years and seen no sign of a water shortage or problem, even though there are lush lawns and golf courses. We need to be sure there's enough water for everyone. He knows the DWA is involved in water, hydroelectric and solar energy.

Mrs. Oygar asked why water, why now? Mr. Bruce said it's always been a concern, and a position has opened up. Other places he has lived with more abundant supplies always had water shortages, and it concerns him that there has never been a shortage here.

He was asked to comment about the Livermore Leadership Conference that he listed on his application. It's to develop future civic leaders. It includes a visit to Sacramento as well as visiting local agencies and cities. It was a 3 or 4 month training. It did not, however, include the local water agency[!].

Richard Cromwell

Mr. Cromwell said the last time the board needed to fill a vacancy he was out of town and couldn't make the interview. He corrected an error he had made on his application. He's vice president of the California Hydrogen Business Council. He's lived here since 1969 when he came here to open the Walker Scott Department Store. After moving to Desert Hot Springs he became interested in the community and politics. He was born and raised in La Jolla and spent his youth on a ranch in Escondido where they located water by water-witching. The artesian well is still oozing today 60 years later, and the area has been designated a wetland. He learned early on that water is the issue. He has been attending Mission Springs Water District meetings for 7 or 8 years. He ran for a board seat but failed by 18 votes. He thinks DWA has a real opportunity in DHS. He knows DWA works real hard, but he thinks it's best to have someone in the area to represent it. In recent history DHS has not had school board representation or DWA representation. There are lots of things happening there, including the Sentinel plant. It would be helpful to DWA to have representation from that area.

Mr. Kieley asked how he would see his relationship with Mission Springs if he were on the DWA board. Mr. Cromwell said it would be one of trying to work out any differences. There appears to be some friction between DWA and MSWD, and he hopes he could try to figure out what it is and get it all straightened out. MSWD has been struggling and made great progress. Mr. Cromwell is part of the MSWD 2.0 committee. MSWD is trying to become more transparent and communicate better with its constituents. He would hope that would carry over to DWA as well because the two are "somewhat married at the hip."

Mrs. Oygar pointed out his unique background in the public and private sectors. His attendance at MSWD meetings is exemplary, but he hasn't been seen much in DWA meetings. What brings him to DWA seeking a position here rather than in MSWD? [Uh, because there's a vacancy in DWA and not MSWD?] Mr. Cromwell said he ran for election there, but didn't win, but he still goes to the meetings. He lives in Mission Lakes CC, which is something of an island itself, so he tends to go to MSWD meetings. He like so think he's making a difference at MSWD meetings. He felt he could do more at MSWD than at DWA. This is a very difficult market, election-wise, he said. "Frankly, people in Desert Hot Springs don't vote." There's no way he could run and be elected to DWA. He tried to run for Palm Springs Unified School District and was told by the union that they were not interested in supporting him.

How would he strengthen the ties to the DHS community? Mr. Cromwell said he thinks we have a tremendous opportunity to work together to help this end of the valley. He is a strong proponent of building a regional water reclamation facility. He thinks there's a good reason to work with MSWD on this because MSWD has land and the demographics that help push grants. He knows that DWA has some money, and both DWA and CVWD have shown interest in that approach. Desert Hot Springs can be a very positive influence. With more communication, speaking the word of DWA will be very helpful.

Mr. Ewing mentioned Mr. Cromwell's extensive service on community boards, public agencies and not-for-profits. He asked what are the keys to successful service on a board. Mr. Cromwell said he has been very fortunate with his early start with the Chamber of Commerce in Palm Springs. You get honed, he said. In Desert Hot Springs he opposed the idea of the city having its own police department, so he knows what it's like to be on the losing end of a decision. The skin was peeled off him inch-by-inch in public meetings. Over the years you begin to understand how it all works. In the private sector resources are held close to your chest and never shared. In the public sector there is a vast array of information and help available. Combine those and you can really see the way to get things done. At SunLine he had a very interesting board that tried to truly show how a private/public partnership could really work. They had the natural gas program and street sweeping. It was not "transit" but they found a way to do it through a separate joint powers authority. SunLine took on taxi regulation, which needed to be done, but no one wanted to do it. SunLine used to meet the train at Garnet station, saving the City of Palm Springs $100,000/year because SunLine already had supervisors out there anyway. SunLine did graffiti removal for the City of Palm Desert for a contract of $60,000 because the SunLine crews were already there cleaning the bus stops. The accounting had to be precise. He was advised to get accountants fron the private sector to make sure all the rules and regulations were followed. They were able to do demonstration work in alternative energy. That brought tourism to our valley. In one year there 25,000 room-nights were bought by people who came here just to see alternative fuels in use. They had visitors from 32 different countries. Clean Cities national convention was held here two years in a row. Thinking out of the box can be very positive to a community like ours. Innovative ideas can be researched and dealt with here at DWA. DWA has a wonderful reputation. If a regional water reclamation facility could be built, it would be a win-win for everybody.

Mr. Ewing mentioned Mr. Cromwell's service on the United Way board, the Desert Hot Springs City Council, and a number of other organizations. He asked what skills Mr. Cromwell brought to the board that will contribute to good decision making. Experience was Mr. Cromwell's answer. Having the opportunity to serve in those three venues and bringing the experience to an elective board. He was trying to demonstrate that experience in the various arenas can help with other groups. He was on the committee that united the United Way. There used to be two in the valley.

Mr. Cioffi said every time he drives behind a SunLine bus he wants to thank Mr. Cromwell. He said one of Mr. Cromwell's strong suits has been energy efficiency and alternative energy sources. He asked what he would do as a board member in regards to energy use at DWA. Mr. Cromwell said DWA has a wonderful opportunity now whether Mr. Cromwell is on the board or not in the Sentinel mitigation funds. DWA could convert its fleet to alternative fuels using money from the mitigation. It's a marvelous opportunity to save money, since natural gas vehicles cost less to operate and maintain than diesel or gasoline powered vehicles. Mr. Cromwell is responsible for building all the natural gas stations in the valley. He sees natural gas as a precursor to hydrogen. He is a board advisor to Clean Energy which is "Mr. Pickens' group." It used to be Pickens Fuel Corporation. That was the public/private partnership used to build the fueling stations. He could be helpful in this arena, if that's what DWA decided to do.

Discussion and Decision

Mr. Kieley said it was incredible there were so many applicants, and some very qualified folks. They all put an effort into this process. He would like to encourage all of them to return and be more active. He specifically mentioned opening a dialogue with the people in the cove with Mr. Davis. He said Mr. Cromwell brings an incredible amount of experience to this entire valley and he would like to find a way to capitalize on that experience to have not only more dialogue with the Mission Springs folks. He is glad that John Brown was here. He said he learned from all these people that DWA has unique communities of interest that had some good leadership that wants to share with DWA. He wants DWA to engage all of them. For the last 2½ or 3 years Joe Stuart has made it nearly every meeting. He's always there to analyze what's right and wrong with the budget. He's been very supportive in a lot of ways. But the most important way has been his attendance at meetings, always trying to find out what the DWA is all about, and to offer his insight. He thinks Mr. Stuart stands out from the crowd.

Mr. Ewing said he reminded himself that we're not here to hire an employee. The interview process tends to draw him into that. He has to avoid looking at individuals and wondering if he would want them working for him, since that's not what's going on here. But we don't have the public dialogue of an election to vet these candidates. He said that not hiring an employee makes him question whether we need "employee-type folks" as board members. DWA staff is already competent and if they need help they go get it. He is concerned about the dynamic that is produced when an expert is put on the board. So that rules out Steve Bigley, Marcus Fuller, Daniel Boyle off the list. "And, to a certain extent, Richard [Cromwell] spoke way too much about the wrong subject, of which he is quite expert." But he has lots of community service, so keep him on the list. So then it comes down to who's got community service or expertise in local groups, which makes for a tough call. There is the geographic issue with Cathedral City and Desert Hot Springs. He has to recognize Joe Stuart's deep involvement with DWA as an interested citizen. He doesn't have the community service of Richard Cromwell. "And John Brown served on a water agency. Got to recognize that. Ran for election. Serves on a policy decision making board. It's Mission Springs. There's a relationship there, so that puts me in sort of a Marcus mode [referring to Marcus Fuller's connection to Palm Springs wastewater facility] or Steve Bigley mode. Is that too close?" He thinks Keith Davis needs a little more seasoning.

Mr. Kieley said he was a little disappointed with Mr. Davis. He wants to maintain the contact with Mr. Davis so that their next visit to the cove will go well.

Mr. Ewing said he thought Mr. Davis should point out that water is going to better now that they have sewers. He thought that Mr. Cromwell could have answered the question about what skills he would bring better than just saying he has lots of experience. "Is experience a skill? I don't think it is," he said. He knows Dr. Villani. He thinks all the candidates would be terrific public servants. He thinks Mr. Stuart cares more about the DWA. Did any of these candidates come to the February 7 DWA board meeting? Mr. Stuart did and Mr. Bigley. [In defense of Mr. Cromwell and Mr. Brown I'll point out that on the morning of February 7 the MSWD also had a board meeting, starting at 9 AM. DWA's meeting started at 8 AM.] He acknowledged that Mr. Stuart had not had as much community board experience, but has had some. It speaks in his favor that he has devoted so much of his time on behalf of the DWA.

Mr. Cioffi said he considered Dr. Villani to be his "number 3." He has strong experience in administration. He's seasoned and well connected. He's strong with the teachers union. He thought he was weak on DWA, though. Mr. Cioffi thought Mr. Cromwell was a strong candidate [his number 2, I guess]. He could bring strong cooperation with Mission Springs and Desert Hot Springs. He's very strong on energy. Mr. Cioffi acknowledged DWA could do a better job at that. He knows how to write grants and get money. "He could have come to a few more meetings here." He talked about a regional project with Mission Springs, "a regional energy project or something." [It was regional water reclamation facility - nothing to do with energy]. Those are interesting long term things, Mr. Cioffi said. "He mentioned the Sentinel conservation grant or the moneys that are going to come out of there and talking about building a bike path. Well I think we can do better than building a trans-regional bike path for air quality. Bikes are nice, but there are other things." [No, the words "bike path" were uttered by no one at any time in this meeting before Mr. Cioffi said it. Mr. Cromwell spoke about updating DWA's fleet of motor vehicles so they could run on compressed natural gas and using Sentinel mitigation funds to pay for it.] "Cromwell is a kind of 'what we see is what we get' kind of guy. That's good."

Mr. Cioffi said he has to go with Mr. Ewing, based on his knowledge and interest and passion in coming to DWA meetings as a participant makes Mr. Stuart stand out. Mr. Stuart is weak in community service, but he's put in a couple hundred hours of community service in these board meetings. "That gives him my vote," he said.

Mr. Cioffi moved to appoint Mr. Stuart to the seat. Mr. Ewing seconded. Approved 4-0.

Opinion (mine)

I thought there were three extremely strong candidates for this seat: Mr. Stuart, Mr. Cromwell and Mr. Brown. The board said that community service was an important aspect in their considerations. They acknowledged Mr. Cromwell's vast community experience. They were forgiving of Mr. Stuart's weaker record there, because his showing up at DWA meetings counts for community service [it would count even more if Mr. Stuart had blogged about it, but we all have our shortcomings]. And Mr. Brown? The only community service they acknowledged was his service on the board of MSWD, even though we know his community service with non-profits is vast [you didn't leave that off your application, did you John?]. I think they never intended to give John Brown serious consideration. If they had, then there would have been questions about the disruption his appointment to DWA would have caused to MSWD. They would have needed to discuss the ethical question of whether it was right to take away a valuable board member from MSWD and in return give them the empty seat problem. But it never came up.

They gave nothing more than token consideration to what Mr. Ewing referred to as the "geographic issue." If they are looking for community involvement, why not consider extensive involvement in a community in the DWA district that is completely unrepresented: the communities north of I-10. Yes, they're low income, they hardly vote, a lot prefer to speak Spanish, and it's all a part of DWA that is not on that board.

What I heard was a pervasive attitude that the public must come to the board. Those who do not come to the board can be relegated to a somewhat lesser status. When was the last time anyone north of I-10 saw a DWA board member on our side of the freeway? Have you seen them at Rotary or Chamber meetings? A City Council meeting? Even an MSWD meeting? I never have. Once every two years I get campaign mailers. Over the years I've made very few attempts to contact DWA - twice to board members, once to staff. I never received any responses.

MSWD board members, OTOH, seem to be rampant in this town. It's smoke and mirrors, or they are running a secret clone factory somewhere, but I can hardly turn around without seeing one or two MSWD people. It's usually Furbee!

DWA's choice, Joe Stuart, brings great skills and knowledge to the board and will be an excellent board member, I'm sure. He is also BFF with the DWA board. They know him. They like him. He will not surprise or threaten them. That was clearly one of the standards they used to come to their decision.

A knowledgeable figure in the valley (not one of the applicants) said beforehand that neither Mr. Cromwell nor Mr. Brown stood a chance of being selected because it's the "old boy network" at DWA.