Water Reclamation Board Names New Committee Chairs and Hires Federal Lobbyist

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Board of Commissioners Meeting
 January 24, 2019

What did the Board Approve?

• The Board approved (8 Yeas and 1 abstention) a motion designating committee chairs and vice-chairs for the 2019-20 Standing Committees. (Agenda Item #43) Comm. Davis abstained, saying he didn’t understand the scope of his authority as a committee chair and requesting a study session to describe chairs’ roles;  President Kara Steele agreed to conduct such a session in February.
• After a brief deferral requested by Cmm. Spyropoulos, the Board unanimously approved the contract (deferred from the previous meeting) for Perform Federal Legislative Lobbying Services.  Though there was some discussion about whether these were the best possible lobbyists, the need to have someone working in Washington before the end of January to wrap up the MWRD’s contract with the Army Corps of Engineers ultimately carried the day.  Comm. Spyropoulos also deferred, and then lifted the deferral, for a contract (deferred from the previous meeting) to hire a law firm to do other lobbying.  
• The Board unanimously approved the appointment of Comm. DuBuclet and Comm. Spyropoulos to serve as trustees of the District’s Retirement Fund.
• The Board unanimously approved a tax levy rebate, reducing by $6.1 million its original budget of $238.7 million.

What else did the Board Discuss?

• The President agreed to schedule a second study session in February to develop an official position on climate change and remediation.  
• During both of the public comment periods Mike Archy from TPM Strategies spoke, complaining that the District bragged about its accomplishments while it overpaid for services and had projects running years behind schedule.  

​Observer - Kelly Kleiman                                                     Meeting Length:  90 minutes