Officials Told to Stay Silent on Water Crisis

In the aftermath of a report that the city of Ventura is considering using treated sewage water as one solution to the city’s water crisis, Ventura’s top water officials have been ordered to stop discussing the water problem in public.

The ban was quietly imposed this week by City Manager John Baker, who said Thursday that he wanted to eliminate possible confusion as the city moves closer to water conservation measures.

“The water problem is a very serious issue, so we can’t have one person saying one thing and another saying something else,” Baker said, adding that the city is referring all requests from newspapers to Carol Green, the city’s public information officer.

As assistant to the city manager, Green reports directly to Baker.

“The problem is that we end up with contradicting stories, and, believe me, the council members read the newspapers and don’t like it,” Baker said. “That’s why I’ve asked that all the information be centralized through Carol Green.”

Baker’s policy--which has resulted this week in a virtual news drought about the water drought--was imposed after city Water Supt. John Mundy was quoted as saying the city is considering injecting reclaimed sewage water to recharge Ventura’s underground water supply.

He was the last city water official to make a public statement.

Since then, interview requests to follow up on Mundy’s provocative comments have invariably died on Green’s desk.

“The city is looking at ways of expanding its use of reclaimed water, but talks are at a very preliminary stage,” Green said this week in reference to Mundy’s comments.

When asked if the city planned to use reclaimed water for drinking purposes instead of irrigation, as Mundy appeared to have suggested, Green did not answer.

“What we’re trying to do is to get together all the information. The meetings are ongoing. I’ll get back to you when we have something available,” she said.

Meanwhile, Public Works Director Shelley Jones and Mundy have been, in Green’s words, either “unavailable” or “in meetings all day,” every day this week. For months, both men had been among the city’s most accessible public officials. On Thursday, hours before Baker announced his policy, Green, the new city water spokeswoman, was asked if such a policy did exist. She replied, “I don’t know.”

City Council members said they were unaware of the new rules.

“I don’t know that such a policy exists,” Mayor Richard Francis said before Baker confirmed the policy Thursday afternoon. “I haven’t been told that they are not allowed to make comments.”

Councilman Todd Collart also said he was not informed.

“I didn’t know that you are having trouble getting a hold of city officials,” he said Thursday. “If in fact there is a policy of not letting top city officials talk to the press, I think it’s wrong because we don’t have anything to hide and this should be an open city.”