Seven Council Members Seek Two Seats on Water Authority

Seven city council members are lobbying to be elected to two positions on the revamped board that will oversee efforts to remedy the region’s severe underground water pollution.

“Some people really want the seats and they have laid siege to the city councils” that will pick the two board members, said James A. Goodrich, executive director of the San Gabriel Basin Water Quality Authority.

Politicking by Rosemead Mayor Margaret Clark, he said, has paid off in the form of several councils supporting her candidacy.

Glendora Councilwoman Lois Shade failed to win the backing of her own council. Undaunted, she persuaded the South Pasadena City Council to nominate her.

Last year, amid complaints from many quarters, including environmentalists and the water suppliers, that comprehensive plans for pollution cleanup were languishing, the Legislature revised the makeup and powers of the water quality agency. Its board now has the authority to design, finance and build cleanup facilities, and the number of board members was cut from 11 to 5.

Underground pollution throughout much of the San Gabriel Basin, caused in large part by degreasing agents and solvents used by large manufacturers and small businesses, is considered among the worst in the country.

For the last decade, the basin has been on the federal Superfund priority list of national environmental problems needing special attention.

But partly because no one governmental agency had the authority or ability to finance the cleanup, little has been done to remedy the problem, which could cost as much as $1 billion to solve.

The authority is overseeing three cleanup projects, totaling $5 million in construction costs. The projects are in Monrovia, Azusa and Baldwin Park. Goodrich said the new board will develop a master plan on cleanup projects, create a five-year budget and explore the possibility of selling bonds to finance more projects.

Three of the authority’s new board members will come from the region’s principal water districts: Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District, San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District and Three Valleys Municipal Water District.

The other two board members will be selected by the 25 city councils in the San Gabriel Valley.

Each council has a certain number of votes, based on population. For example, Alhambra, with 82,000 residents, has eight votes and Bradbury, with 829 residents, has one. Each city must cast all of its votes for one candidate. Councils can choose to vote for no one.

Each of the councils has until Feb. 10 to vote, and winners will be announced Feb. 11.

Late last year, the councils nominated seven candidates, all of whom must be council members.

In addition, the communities are divided into two groups: cities that have legal rights to pump water from the San Gabriel Basin and those that don’t.

One board member will be drawn from candidates who represent the 13 cities that have pumping rights: Arcadia, Alhambra, Azusa, Covina, El Monte, Glendora, Industry, Irwindale, La Verne, Monrovia, Monterey Park, South Pasadena and Whittier.

The other board member will represent the 12 cities that do not have pumping rights: Baldwin Park, Bradbury, Duarte, La Puente, Rosemead, San Dimas, San Gabriel, San Marino, Sierra Madre, South El Monte, Temple City and West Covina.

The nominees for the cities with pumping rights are El Monte Councilwoman Maria F. Avila, Arcadia Councilman Bob Margett, Covina Mayor Henry M. Morgan and Shade of Glendora.

From the cities without pumping rights are Rosemead’s Clark, Baldwin Park Councilman Martin Gallegos and West Covina Councilman Bradley McFadden.

Those who come in second will be alternates to the board.

The Upper District chose its new president, Kenneth Manning, as its authority representative. The alternate is district Vice President Tony Fellow.

The San Gabriel District picked Joseph Reichenberger, now the water quality authority’s chairman. District board member Carol Montano is the alternate.

Three Valleys has not yet made its selection.

The terms of the members representing Three Valleys and the cities without pumping rights will last for two years. Other board members will serve for four years. Members now receive $100 per meeting, but the new board will have the authority to set a higher rate.