Amador County – The Amador Water Agency Board of Directors last week discussed a paper prepared by District 3 Director Don Cooper that gave information about the pending Gravity Supply Line project, then discussed public relations policy and board conduct. District 4 Director Debbie Dunn requested the board review Cooper’s document discussing Central Amador Water Project issues, which he prepared in advance of a presentation he gave at a February meeting of the Upcountry Community Council. Dunn also requested the board discuss and possibly direct staff “regarding policy for board members addressing the public as citizens versus a board member representing the agency.” Dunn said “it was not about singling out a particular director.” She said: “What I would like to see come from this is for us to update our own policy and our own code of ethics.” Dunn said she “would also like to possibly determine if there was any need for corrective action,” likening the situation to “a newspaper that has published something in error” and presenting a “statement of correction.” Dunn said “Cooper chose to publish a 4-page document” with “32 points” called “What Don Cooper Knows About the Gravity Supply Line.” Cooper e-mailed his paper to Upcountry Community Council’s co-directors, Lynn Morgan and Bob Curral, who e-mailed it to others, including Sutter Creek bulk e-mailer Loraine Davis, who “chose not to send it on,” Dunn said, adding that Supervisor John Plasse of District 1 asked Davis “specifically in support of it to please publish it to the world because this was the director that knew all about it.” Dunn said “when 4,000 people” on Davis’ list “get that paper, the probability that another director sitting up here saw it was very good.” Cooper thought that was the crux of the issue, saying for individual directors, “Freedom of speech is a constitutional right,” and he thought the board would not assume his paper represented the board’s opinion. Cooper said: “I will never give up my American right and freedom relative to that, I don’t care what kind of policy comes before this board.” He said: “If it got the wide spread that it did, so be it. I think there’s a lot of good information for a lot of good discussion.” Directors Terence Moore called the issue a “witch hunt” and moved to “table this item forever.” Moore and Director Gary Thomas both supported Cooper’s paper as a First Amendment guarantee. The issue was eventually tabled until later in the meeting, but not resumed. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. -
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Amador County – The Amador Water Agency Board of Directors last week discussed a paper prepared by District 3 Director Don Cooper that gave information about the pending Gravity Supply Line project, then discussed public relations policy and board conduct. District 4 Director Debbie Dunn requested the board review Cooper’s document discussing Central Amador Water Project issues, which he prepared in advance of a presentation he gave at a February meeting of the Upcountry Community Council. Dunn also requested the board discuss and possibly direct staff “regarding policy for board members addressing the public as citizens versus a board member representing the agency.” Dunn said “it was not about singling out a particular director.” She said: “What I would like to see come from this is for us to update our own policy and our own code of ethics.” Dunn said she “would also like to possibly determine if there was any need for corrective action,” likening the situation to “a newspaper that has published something in error” and presenting a “statement of correction.” Dunn said “Cooper chose to publish a 4-page document” with “32 points” called “What Don Cooper Knows About the Gravity Supply Line.” Cooper e-mailed his paper to Upcountry Community Council’s co-directors, Lynn Morgan and Bob Curral, who e-mailed it to others, including Sutter Creek bulk e-mailer Loraine Davis, who “chose not to send it on,” Dunn said, adding that Supervisor John Plasse of District 1 asked Davis “specifically in support of it to please publish it to the world because this was the director that knew all about it.” Dunn said “when 4,000 people” on Davis’ list “get that paper, the probability that another director sitting up here saw it was very good.” Cooper thought that was the crux of the issue, saying for individual directors, “Freedom of speech is a constitutional right,” and he thought the board would not assume his paper represented the board’s opinion. Cooper said: “I will never give up my American right and freedom relative to that, I don’t care what kind of policy comes before this board.” He said: “If it got the wide spread that it did, so be it. I think there’s a lot of good information for a lot of good discussion.” Directors Terence Moore called the issue a “witch hunt” and moved to “table this item forever.” Moore and Director Gary Thomas both supported Cooper’s paper as a First Amendment guarantee. The issue was eventually tabled until later in the meeting, but not resumed. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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