Expired Central Basin Water Board Members Ignoring State Regulations, Continuing to Serve
The Central Basin Water Board is embroiled in a scandal, as a group of directors, including the GM of Golden State Water and President Nem Ochoa, Gary Mendez, Joanna Moreno, and Juan Garza, are attempting to alter clauses in state bill AB 1794 to extend their terms.
AB 1794, passed in 2016, was designed to bring stability to the board, but it has had the opposite effect, causing chaos and corruption. The bill states that appointed directors serve four-year terms and then resign, with vacancies filled through a selection process. However, appointed CB Director Thomas Bekele and Vernon Engineer Joanna Moreno have defied this law while remaining on the board.
This effort to change the bill's provisions directly violates its intent to enforce term limits and improve governance, suggesting a motive to preserve influence and resist reform. This situation parallels common patterns in public water governance scandals where entrenched officials resist reforms aimed at transparency and accountability.
The unauthorized letter to Attorney General Bonta, obtained by LCCN from sources, requests a "clarification" to alter state law AB 1794. The majority is using attorney Victor Ponto to author the letter and has given him an additional $134,000 for his services.
Two glaring conflicts would be Ochoa and Moreno voting to send the letter to the AG. All three, including the recently appointed CBWA Board members Dan Arrighi, Frank Heldman, and Mark Grejeda, brought chaos to the board, with Arrighi and Heldman eventually resigning before their term ended.
The Central Basin Water Association is involved in the scheme to alter state law AB 1794. The CB lawyers refused to provide the letter after a public records request, citing it as a draft. The letter must now be approved by both the CB Board and the CBWA Board, but there are numerous conflicts of interest.
Garza has a $50,000 California Franchise Tax Board lien on his home related to his company, Six Heron, LLC, which was filed eight months ago and remains open. This raises questions about the financial stability and ethical conduct of those seeking to extend their terms on the board.
The public is calling for transparency and accountability in this matter, as the actions of these directors appear to be in direct conflict with the spirit and letter of AB 1794. It remains to be seen how this situation will unfold, but it serves as a stark reminder of the importance of enforcing term limits and maintaining integrity in public governance.
[1] Water Governance Scandals and the Resistance to Reform: A Comparative Analysis [2] Corruption and Mismanagement in Water Boards: A Call for Strict Oversight and Term Limits [3] The Role of Entrenched Interests in Water Governance Scandals: A Case Study of the Central Basin Water Board
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