Notice of Meeting to Discuss Filling Garvey Reservoir
On Aug. 21, a Saturday, I received a letter from the Monterey Park City Council informing me of a council meeting on Aug. 23 with representatives from the Metropolitan Water District. It seems MWD wants to refill Garvey Reservoir, despite the proven risks (two faults run beneath the reservoir) to area residents by doing so.
When residents arrived at the Monterey Park council chambers, we had to wait while MWD representatives and council members held a closed meeting. We then each received just three minutes to speak. I considered the evening a charade, as it appeared that the council and MWD had already agreed: Water would fill the reservoir.
At the meeting, I learned that only 400 residents had received letters such as mine. Should a disaster occur because of water in the reservoir, the lives and property of more than 400 people will face danger. Citizens should have been informed of the meeting with, for instance, a notice in our water bills. And we should have received ample time to organize (certainly more than one Sunday).
That citizens weren’t notified of this meeting was, to say the least, irresponsible and presumptuous on the part of the city and MWD. MWD may believe they can railroad citizens now, but when disaster strikes, will they take such charge?
TRAUDE GOMEZ
Monterey Park
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