COSTA MESA : Water Officials Reject Residency Requirement
Despite a recent controversy over the board president’s dual residency, directors of the Mesa Consolidated Water District this week voted down a resolution that would have required officers to live in the district.
“You have to hope people are honest,” Director Trudy Ohlig said.
Tom Nelson, who resigned as board president in August, owned a home in Seal Beach but said he spent most of his time at an office on 18th Street in Costa Mesa that he had converted to an apartment.
A number of residents called for the Orange County district attorney’s office to investigate Nelson’s eligibility, but the issue became moot when Nelson stepped down.
Board members said this week that requiring directors to live in the area served by the water district would be inappropriate because state government codes allow public officials to maintain two residences.
In a separate move, the board Tuesday adopted a resolution honoring Nelson for his 17 years of service to the district.
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