Official’s Dual Role in Land Talks Questioned

The president of the Orange County Water District has represented the agency in talks with a city that wants to annex district land even though his consulting firm is being paid by the city to help push through the project.

Some water board members said this week that Jerry King’s dealings with the city of Chino’s proposed annexation might be a conflict of interest and asked attorneys for the agency to look into the matter.

King, however, said he’s done nothing wrong and that an attorney for the agency cleared him to get involved with the annexation issue. He is vice president of Psomas & Associates in Costa Mesa, one of three firms the city hired to work on the annexation.

“Our attorney has said [the relationship] was no problem,” he said.

State law bars elected officials from voting on or influencing decisions that would materially affect their assets and income. Officials are also barred from voting or influencing decisions that directly affect a source of income of $500 or more received within the previous 12 months.

A spokesman for the state Fair Political Practices Commission confirmed Thursday that it received a complaint alleging a conflict of interest by King. The Orange County district attorney’s office is also reviewing the allegations, spokeswoman Tori Richards said.

Chino wants to annex 5,400 acres in San Bernardino County, including 57 acres owned by the Orange County Water District. The water district’s land would remain as open space, but a developer wants to build 9,779 homes on another portion of the land Chino wants to annex. Overall, the district owns about 2,500 acres behind the Prado Dam.

The district opposes the annexation because it would prohibit development on the 57 acres.

Chino planners said King represented the water district in at least two annexation meetings with city officials and also sent several official district letters.

The city’s environmental review for the project includes numerous documents bearing Psomas’ name, including technical reports on water issues. Water-quality concerns raised by King and the district resulted in an $80,000 revision to the city review, Chino planner Bob Prasse said.

King said he believes his company’s role in the matter is limited to producing aerial photos.

Orange County Water District board member Phil Anthony said he was surprised to learn about Psomas’ work for Chino and that King was representing the water district on the annexation matter.

“With these [conflict of interest] accusations flying around, we can’t ignore them,” he said. “If [King] has a financial interest, that’s defined in state law as a conflict and he’s not to vote on things and he has to declare what the conflict is.”

Board member Denis Bilodeau said he discovered three weeks ago that Psomas was involved in the annexation bid. He said he and three other board members asked King and district General Manager Virginia Grebbien last week for a special board meeting to discuss it but were rebuffed.

“Jerry has been the guy controlling the issue for the last year and a half,” Bilodeau said Thursday. “That’s what really bothers me. I think he needs to justify to the board why he’s playing both sides.”

Grebbien said an attorney for the agency recalls talking with King about the possible conflict and “is reviewing his notes to determine what was said.”