EXCLUSIVE: L.A. County Supervisors Approve Urgency Motion on Central Basin Water

HMG-CN Staff Report

HMG-CN has exclusively received an Urgency Motion on Central Basin Water that was approved by the LA County Board of Supervisors at today’s meeting.

The two page motion stated, ” The cloud of dysfunction at Central Basin continues to undermine efforts to reform the agency and its Board, it is appropriate at this time for the Board of Supervisors to request a comprehensive State management Audit of Central Basin and to pursue any related legislative and non-legislative actions necessary to effectively maintain water availability and services to Central Basin’s customers, including the potential for another local water management agency, if necessary, to undertake the water-related functions and activities currently performed by Central Basin.”

The motion went on to… “Direct the CEO and Public Works, in consultation with County Counsel, to prepare and send a five-signature letter to the State, including the Chair of the State’s Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee, requesting a comprehensive State management Audit of the Central Basin Municipal Water District.”

The CEO and Public works was ordered to report back to the Board in 30 days.

HMG-CN reported earlier that the ‘Roybal Three’- Directors James Roybal, Leticia Vasquez, and Bob Apodaca are planning to fire current GM Tony Perez and remove Board President Phil Hawkins at tomorrow’s meeting.

When told of the removal and firing L.A. County Supervisor Don Knabe told HMG-CN, “Frankly, the behavior and dysfunction at the Central Basin is absolutely out of control.  I am concerned about their ability to perform their primary function – maintaining water availability and services to the constituents we represent.  So today, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved my urgency motion to request a comprehensive state audit of the Central Basin and put a contingency plan in place for another agency, or even our own Public Works department, to take over.  We cannot put more than 2 million people in 24 cities and unincorporated Southeastern Los Angeles at this kind of risk because of the outrageous and bungling behavior of this Board.”

See motion here.