Pomona : City Votes to Sue District

The City Council voted this week to file suit against the Three Valleys Municipal Water District, claiming that the district’s board of directors violated the intent of an agreement to expand the board from five to seven members.

Councilman Mark Nymeyer, who made the motion to sue the water district, said city officials had been led to believe that a Pomona resident would be elected in June to represent the city along with current board member William Koch.

Instead, the board chose to have director Sandy Baldonado, a Claremont resident who represents a portion of east Pomona, represent north Pomona until her term expires in 1992. Because she would not be a resident of the newly drawn north Pomona division, Baldonado could not run for reelection.

However, City Councilman C.L. (Clay) Bryant said he doubts that the city will actually sue because the board expansion agreement requires aggrieved member agencies of the water district to confer with the board before taking legal action. “I think we’re going to be able to work this out amicably,” he said.

Attorney Janet Morningstar, who represented the city and two neighboring water districts during the preparation of the agreement with the water district, disagreed with Bryant’s interpretation. The city is not required to meet with the water board before filing a lawsuit, she said.

Morningstar said the agreement does not expressly guarantee that a Pomona resident will be elected to the board in June.