Ex-Sanitation Districts Chief to Pay Civil Fine

The former general manager of the Orange County Sanitation Districts has agreed to pay a $1,750 civil fine to settle a lawsuit brought by the district attorney’s office accusing him of a conflict of interest violation.

The agreement reached Tuesday between J. Wayne Sylvester and the district attorney’s office is subject to final approval by Superior Court Judge Nancy Wieben Stock.

In the suit, also filed Tuesday, prosecutors alleged that Sylvester accepted more than $250 worth of work-related meals from an engineering firm doing business with the districts, a violation of the state’s 1974 Political Reform Act.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Matt Anderson said Sylvester signed board agenda reports that included recommendations from other staff members involving the engineering firm, although he was not actually making any recommendations.

The suit also said Sylvester failed to properly disclose the gifts from John Carollo Engineers in 1991-1992 and 1992-1993 economic statements required by law.

Anderson said there was “no evidence to suggest there was intent on (Sylvester’s) part to deceive anybody.”

Darryl R. Wold, an attorney representing Sylvester, said any mistakes made were inadvertent.

“There was no attempt to hide anything,” he said. “These were technical violations. It’s the kind of thing that anyone with reporting obligations under the Political Reform Act can encounter.”

Sylvester retired in December after 35 years of service. His retirement came at a time when the agency found itself the focus of state and local probes into alleged safety violations and accusations of office mismanagement.

The sanitation agency is made up of nine separate districts and provides sewer collection, treatment and disposal services for more than 2 million residents.

Donald F. McIntyre was appointed to be the new general manager of the sanitation district by the board of directors at its Wednesday meeting, district spokesman Patrick McNelly said.

McIntyre is a former city manager of Pasadena, Vallejo and Los Gatos, McNelly said. He has a graduate degree in political science from Michigan State and is the chief executive officer of the Central City Assn. of Los Angeles, a consortium of cities. He will assume his new duties March 6.