Central Basin President Roybal Attempts to Cancel Ethics Meeting Hearing Allegations Against Director Apodaca

By Brian Hews

In a  memo obtained exclusively by Hews Media Group-Community News, Central Basin Municipal Water District Board President James Roybal has directed CBMWD GM Tony Perez to cancel an impending Ethics Committee meeting addressing allegations against embattled Director Bob Apodaca.

See memo click here

The meeting, originally scheduled for Sept. 25, was rescheduled for 10 a.m. Oct. 3 to address a citizen’s complaint filed in late August that alleged serious illegal activities against Apodaca.

The Ethics Committee meeting on the 25^th was, according to Directors Phil Hawkins and Art Chacon, “illegally” cancelled by Roybal.

Members Phil Hawkins and Art Chacon characterized Roybal’s cancellation as a person “out of control” and “reflective of a Dictator rather than an elected official.”

District Counsel Rick Olivarez wrote that Roybal had no legal authority to cancel the  Sept. 25^th meeting, and had no authority to remove committee members without taking the matter to the entire Board.

Similar to the Oct 2 memo to Perez, Roybal issued an official memorandum just moments before the Ethics Committee was to meet on the 25^th.

Roybal wrote that “effectively immediately, I am canceling all future Ethics Committee meetings and installing myself and Bob Apodaca as the new standing members of the Committee”.

Apodaca is accused of approving payments made to his longtime partner, Whittier Commissioner Caroline Medrano, for providing the District with nearly $11,000 in floral arrangements and for “illegally” placing Medrano on his agency paid medical plan.

Roybal’s memo, delivered to Board Members this evening, said that Chair Hawkins was removed last week and thus “has no authority to call an emergency meeting.”  The document goes on to state that, “I direct you (GM Perez) to not convene this illegal and politically motivated meeting.”

When contacted about the memo, Chairman Hawkins reiterated his comments made last week that “Roybal is unfit to serve as President and is abusing his authority to thwart a legitimate citizen’s complaint.”  Hawkins added, “I am moving ahead with tomorrow’s meeting.”

Committee Member Art Chacon questioned Roybal’s actions saying, “Roybal appears to be taking excessive actions to address what is really just a routine citizen’s inquiry.” Chacon went on to say,  “how can calling a meeting to look into the potential alleged illegal actions of an elected official be so frightening to the Roybal? The only thing he’s accomplishing by his actions is to make his colleague look as guilty as possible, maybe it’s his fear of the consequences he’ll possibly be facing from the Grand Jury that is making him act so deranged.”