Palmdale Water District Board Votes to Fire Veteran Manager

The governing board of the Palmdale Water District narrowly decided to fire its longtime manager Tuesday, climaxing a simmering feud.

By a 3-2 vote, the elected board of the agency, which provides water service to much of Palmdale, dismissed Engineer-Manager Lowell Felt effective immediately. The agency will have to pay him about $51,400 for the remainder of his three-year contract, which runs through August.

The dismissal came at the behest of board President Leslie Carter. About three weeks ago, Felt had urged other board members in a letter not to retain Carter as president, complaining he had privately interceded for developers and sidestepped agency staff.

Carter earlier denied any wrongdoing. “The manager of this district serves at the pleasure of this board, and he no longer serves at my pleasure,” Carter said. “That’s the only statement I’m going to make.”

Board members John Sidwell and Nolan Negaard sided with Carter. But board members Joe Sage and Walt Dahlitz said his loss would hurt the district. “I think you’re being very vindictive and letting your feelings cloud your judgment,” Sage told Carter.

Felt, 65, a civil engineer who earned $88,100 a year, had managed the district since August, 1987, and previously held the job between 1956 and 1969.

In the intervening years, he designed the Palmdale City Hall, library and cultural center.

“I have done a very good job for the district,” Felt said, declining further comment except to say he would not fight his dismissal.