Water Board Opposes Merger With City

In a joint meeting with members of the City Council this week, Mesa Consolidated Water District board members said they oppose a merger with the city.

“Consolidation should be beneficial to both agencies and to the ratepayers and taxpayers, not to accommodate the desires of a few individuals,” said Trudy Ohlig, Mesa Consolidated board president.

Mayor Joe Erickson said the city agreed to the meeting because it is city policy to discuss any issues brought forth by Costa Mesa residents.

In a letter to the council, members of the Coalition for Clean Water-Costa Mesa, a citizens’ watchdog group, asserted that the city should consider absorbing the water agency based on “numerous acts of impropriety”--including two sexual harassment claims that cost the district $170,000 to settle--that have come to light in recent months.

Director Hank Panian, echoing Ohlig’s sentiments, said he objected to the circumstances under which consolidation discussions were initiated.

“The present discussion grows out of criticisms and we are not going to stand for it,” Panian said.

Panian said the sexual harassment problems and other criticisms, including design problems at the agency’s new reservoir, have all been resolved and are no reason to initiate merger discussions.

Councilwoman Mary Hornbuckle, however, pointed out that there are other reasons to move forward with an investigation.

“I think the public looks at the city, the water district and the sanitation district and they see three sets of officials and three sets of managers and they don’t see any reason for those layers of government,” she said.

The council will hold both a study session and a public hearing on a possible merger later this month.