Lake Casitas : Guard Compensated for Burned Items
A resident watchman at Matilija Dam has received $23,050 from the Casitas Municipal Water District to replace belongings burned in an October fire at the district-owned house on the premises.
The district, financed largely by its 55,000 customers in western Ventura and the Ojai Valley, paid the claim because its house was not insured.
Jim Logsdon was the dam’s resident tender for four years until he accidentally cut a propane line while excavating a leaking water pipe. The ensuing blaze destroyed the district’s uninsured home, garage and many wedding gifts from Logsdon’s recent marriage.
Logsdon, still employed by Casitas, asked the district for $30,086 to replace his family’s belongings, including a wedding gown and photo albums. Friends in Ojai held benefits for Logsdon and his family last winter and the district leased them a temporary home.
Casitas General Manager John Johnson recommended that the board pay Logsdon $23,050 to cover the depreciated value of items lost in the fire.
The board recently abandoned its 42-year policy of having a resident watchman at Matilija Dam. It also made sure the house provided to the tender at Lake Casitas Dam was insured.
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