Amador County – The Amador Water Agency board discussed communications and the Brown Act last week, and Director Don Cooper requested placing it on a future agenda. President Bill Condrashoff said he would “like to have a specific topic,” and Cooper suggested discussing compliance to the Public Records Act. Vice President Debbie Dunn said she did not “want to agendize something we are not subjected to,” and the agency attorney told her that board members were not subject to it. Dunn said if Cooper wanted to talk about a director requesting information from staff, she would talk about that. Cooper said he thought the board had some issues with requests for information, and he suggested the board get an ethics review by attorney Steve Kronick. Cooper also said they could discuss “board members making information requests directly to staff, and not working through the general manager.” Cooper said he also wanted to discuss the “protocol relative to board members seeking information or making contact with government agencies without general manager or board participation.” He said he would like to discuss a policy relative to that issue. Cooper also wondered about permissible conversations under the Brown Act, and he thought Kronick could share information about recent rulings regarding general manager and board member communications specifically related to agenda items. Condrashoff said he thought Brown Act and ethics classes required periodically for board members would be sufficient. Cooper said “it wouldn’t take long,” and it would be good to refresh the board on the subject. General Manager Gene Mancebo said the attorney general has released opinions that “further narrow” interpretation. Cooper on Tuesday said he has seen Dunn interacting with staff. He said she wasn’t satisfied with engineering findings about rebuilding the pumping station in the Central Amador Water Project, and “proceeded to not accept those reports and to call Kennedy Jinks to get copies of the report.” After approval of the Gravity Supply Line in March, Cooper said Dunn and Condrashoff have made calls to the USDA, and those discussions “haven’t been shared with the staff and the board.” Cooper said he asked to “put it on the agenda so we can talk about it.” He said when board members go over the head of staff, they “instill mistrust in what the staff is doing for you.” He said he asked for it to be placed on the agenda last April. He said Mancebo and Condrashoff will decide agenda topics, and new policy also allows the full board to decide to place items on the board agenda. 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 discussed communications and the Brown Act last week, and Director Don Cooper requested placing it on a future agenda. President Bill Condrashoff said he would “like to have a specific topic,” and Cooper suggested discussing compliance to the Public Records Act. Vice President Debbie Dunn said she did not “want to agendize something we are not subjected to,” and the agency attorney told her that board members were not subject to it. Dunn said if Cooper wanted to talk about a director requesting information from staff, she would talk about that. Cooper said he thought the board had some issues with requests for information, and he suggested the board get an ethics review by attorney Steve Kronick. Cooper also said they could discuss “board members making information requests directly to staff, and not working through the general manager.” Cooper said he also wanted to discuss the “protocol relative to board members seeking information or making contact with government agencies without general manager or board participation.” He said he would like to discuss a policy relative to that issue. Cooper also wondered about permissible conversations under the Brown Act, and he thought Kronick could share information about recent rulings regarding general manager and board member communications specifically related to agenda items. Condrashoff said he thought Brown Act and ethics classes required periodically for board members would be sufficient. Cooper said “it wouldn’t take long,” and it would be good to refresh the board on the subject. General Manager Gene Mancebo said the attorney general has released opinions that “further narrow” interpretation. Cooper on Tuesday said he has seen Dunn interacting with staff. He said she wasn’t satisfied with engineering findings about rebuilding the pumping station in the Central Amador Water Project, and “proceeded to not accept those reports and to call Kennedy Jinks to get copies of the report.” After approval of the Gravity Supply Line in March, Cooper said Dunn and Condrashoff have made calls to the USDA, and those discussions “haven’t been shared with the staff and the board.” Cooper said he asked to “put it on the agenda so we can talk about it.” He said when board members go over the head of staff, they “instill mistrust in what the staff is doing for you.” He said he asked for it to be placed on the agenda last April. He said Mancebo and Condrashoff will decide agenda topics, and new policy also allows the full board to decide to place items on the board agenda. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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