Water Directors Misuse Committees and Show Disdain for Ratepayers

Note: The Surf City Voice was hacked last December and is under reconstruction. This story was first published Aug. 4, 2014

By Debbie Cook

Special to the Surf City Voice

Commentary

At a recent (July 3) sub committee meeting, OCWD’s Director Cathy Green dismissed an idea by Director Jan Flory to have staff prepare a report on the cost alternatives for video streaming public meetings.

Director Stephen Sheldon mocks transparency at a committee meeting. Photo: Surf City Voice

Flory wants to make it easier for the district’s ratepayers to attend those meetings or at least be able to see them by watching live or archived versions online.

Few public citizens participate in OCWD meetings, a blow to democracy that is exacerbated by a calendar set for the convenience of directors but not them.

Trying to break that mold a bit, on the day of the committee meeting, myself and a few other public citizens actually did attend in order to support Flory’s proposal.

But Green and the two other voting members of …