News Category

Category: News

January 19, 2022- Board Meeting

At the OMWD’s December Board of Directors meeting, the most important agenda item was a preliminary economic feasibility presentation by consultant Doug Gillingham regarding OMWD’s San Dieguito Valley Brackish Groundwater Desalination Project. Since 2008 the OMWD has been studying the feasibility of this project, which would cost over $40 Million to build. Its purpose, if approved, is to provide OMWD with about 10% of its water from local groundwater found in the San Dieguito Valley. The groundwater is brackish (salty), so it would require desalination treatment and special pipelines before it can be consumed. Whether to proceed with this project is a HUGE Board decision, which likely will come to a decision point in the next 24 months. A full detailed workshop is scheduled for March 30, 2022. I will provide more detail at that time.

Among other meeting items, the Board unanimously supported a resolution directing staff to apply for grant funding to cover the costs to expand parking at the Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve. Due to the reserve’s popularity, especially on weekends, both the primary and overflow lots become full, limiting park use.

You can review past and present Board and committee meeting agendas and background materials online at https://www.olivenhain.com/about-us/governing-board/board-meetings/.

Posted on 19 Jan 2022, 17:36 - Category: News

December 15, 2021- Board Meeting

Happy Holidays. The OMWD’s December Board of Directors meeting included the Board's approval of new agreements with OMWD’s employee associations. Those agreements were negotiated over many months and, for the first time, require OMWD employees to pay into their medical plans, which is something I had brought up shortly after my Board appointment. The agreement also allows certain employees a limited ability to work remotely from home, as long as doing so does not impact customer service. Also, caps were placed on the future cost of living adjustments tied to inflation. The Board meeting also set a time and place for a special workshop to discuss progress on OMWD’s San Dieguito Valley Brackish Groundwater Desalination Project. If economically and technically feasible (which remains an open question), the project will contribute some local water to OMWD’s water supply. The workshop is set for March 30, 2022.

You can review past and present Board and committee meeting agendas and background materials online at https://www.olivenhain.com/about-us/governing-board/board-meetings/.

Posted on 16 Dec 2021, 10:12 - Category: News

November 30, 2021- Association of California Water Agencies Conference

The Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) conference took place in Pasadena from November 30 to December 2, 2021. I attended, along with other OMWD Directors and staff. The ACWA conference is an invaluable opportunity to attend education programs about water issues and hear from state leaders about the direction of water policy and law in California. This is especially important with looming water shortages and possible drought restrictions. I was able to compare notes with Directors and staff of other agencies about management practices and possible ways to improve how OMWD uses its resources and takes care of its customers.

For me, the most valuable class was on how to assess and manage District employee pension liabilities through the possible formation of reserve accounts and the importance of setting unfunded pension liability policies and goals, which are missing from OMWD written policies. I am pushing to establish those policies so the District can more accurately predict and manage its future pension contributions and obligations.

Which programs would you attend? The conference program is found here: https://www.acwa.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/FC21-OSschedule-WEB.pdf

Posted on 03 Dec 2021, 16:16 - Category: News

November 17, 2021- BIG NEWS! Board Meeting-Rebates to all customers

At the November meeting of the OMWD Board of Directors, I voted with the entire Board to refund $1.62 million to our ratepayers. The money came from lawsuits filed by the San Diego County Water Authority against Los Angeles water wholesaler Metropolitan Water District for charging excessive rates and charges to us.

At the same meeting, among other items, the Board considered whether to obtain quotes from all available insurers and insurance pools for OMWD’s general liability property, automobile, and related coverages. I argued in favor of expanding the number of quote requests to include insurance pools in order to obtain all competitive rates in the insurance market, no different from when we look for our own car or home insurance. Other Board members opposed opening up the competition, satisfied with obtaining quotes from the same insurers who have quoted OMWD for years. I thank Board President Larry Watt for supporting my position to open the competition, but a vote for limited quotes prevailed. OMWD staff will receive the limited quotes in Spring 2022. Let’s hope that they are competitive.

You can review past and present Board and committee meeting agendas and background materials online at https://www.olivenhain.com/about-us/governing-board/board-meetings/.

Posted on 17 Nov 2021, 17:27 - Category: News

October 15, 2021- YouTube Native Plants Workshop

As a member of OMWD’s Conservation Committee, it was my privilege to introduce OMWD”s Native Plants workshop conducted by Greg Rubin, one of the preeminent experts in the field. Topics of discussion included native soil ecology, design concepts and styles, plant selection, irrigation design, watering schedules, maintenance, mulches, and pest and weed control. I encourage you to take the time and watch the video.

Posted on 15 Oct 2021, 06:23 - Category: News

Pages: ... [8] [9] [10] [11]