Board of Directors Represent the Region’s Water Agencies
The Water Authority’s 24 member agencies are represented through a 36-member Water Authority Board of Directors. At least one director from each agency sits on the Board. The Board establishes and administers policies for the Water Authority, and generally holds its regular meetings on the fourth Thursday of every month with special workshops and other meetings as needed. The public is invited to attend monthly meetings and to comment on agenda items or other matters before the Board.
Public Notice
BOARD OF DIRECTORS’ AND STANDING COMMITTES
REGULAR MEETING
9:00 A.M. MAY 25, 2023
BOARD ROOM
WATER AUTHORITY HEADQUARTERS BUILDING
4677 OVERLAND AVENUE, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
Director Gary Hurst is participating via live video conference during the May 2023 San Diego County Water Authority Meeting, pursuant to California Government Code Section 54953(b). Director Hurst is participating from 24704 Sarda Court, Ramona CA, 92065. Director Hurst has posted the agenda at his location and the location is accessible to the public.
Director Keith Lewinger is participating via live video conference during the May 2023 San Diego County Water Authority Meeting, pursuant to California Government Code Section 54953(b). Director Lewinger is participating from 9135 Keys Place, Gleneden Beach, OR 97388. Director Lewinger has posted the agenda
at his location and the location is accessible to the public.
Director Marty Miller is participating via live video conference during the May 2023 San Diego County Water Authority Meeting, pursuant to California Government Code Section 54953(b). Director Miller is participating from 13 Pumphouse Rd, Garden Valley, Idaho 83662. Director Miller has posted the agenda at his location and the location is accessible to the public.
The meeting is open to the public and accessible electronically by going to this web link: https://www.sdcwa.org/meetings-and-documents and then clicking the link listed below “LIVE STREAM” on the right hand side of the page.
- UNIFIED AGENDA: This unified agenda provides a brief description of each item to be considered by the Board and its Administrative and Finance, Engineering and Operations, Imported Water, Legislation and Public Outreach, and Water Planning and Environmental Committees. For convenience, the agenda for each of the Committees and for the formal Board meeting are stated separately; however, all agendas shall be considered as a single agenda and any item listed on the agenda of any Committee may be acted upon by the Board. All items on the agenda of any Committee, including information items, may be deliberated and become subject to action by the Board.
- DOCUMENTS: Staff reports and other public information provided to the Committee before the meeting relating to items on the agenda are available for public review on the Water Authority website at https://www.sdcwa.org/meetings-and-documents. Additional documents may be distributed at the meeting electronically, and will be made available. Copies of individual items are available through the Clerk of the Board at (858) 522-6614.
- MEETING TIMES: The morning session of the Standing Committees will commence at 9:00 a.m. on May 25, 2023, and any afternoon session of the Standing Committees may commence at the conclusion of the morning session and earlier than 1:00 p.m. Please see the meeting schedule. The meeting of the full Board may begin as early as 2:00 p.m. or as soon thereafter as the last Committee meeting is completed.
- ACTION AT COMMITTEE MEETINGS: Committee meetings are also noticed as meetings of the Board because a quorum of the Board may be present. Members of the Board who are not members of the Committee may participate in the meeting, but only members of the Committee may make, second or vote on any motion or other action of the Committee unless the Board determines to convene for consideration of action on an item or items on the Committee agenda. Items receiving substantive review by a standing committee are generally included on the Consent Calendar for action at the meeting of full Board. Closed Sessions also occur at Committee meetings and may not be repeated at the formal Board meeting.
- CONSENT CALENDAR: The agenda contains items listed on a consent calendar which is for matters considered routine or otherwise not requiring further deliberation. A Committee or the Board will take action as recommended by one motion. There will be no individual discussion on such items prior to the vote unless an item is removed for discussion.
- PUBLIC HEARINGS: It is not necessary to notify the Chair if a member of the public wishes to speak on items listed on the agenda as public hearings. Public hearings will begin at the time stated in the notice, or as soon thereafter as the matter can be heard. When the Chair opens the hearing, upon invitation from the Chair, step to the podium and begin by giving your name and address for the record. Each speaker has three minutes to address the Board.
- PUBLIC COMMENT: Public comment requests may be made before the meeting, or before public comment closes at the meeting, by submitting your written comment to: PUBLICCOMMENTS@SDCWA.ORG. Written correspondence will be read as time allows (three-minute limit). Speaker request forms will be available to the public attending in person.
Public comments can also be made by joining via zoom at: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83535524943?pwd=ZDV6c3c1YjZMOXNkVFh1eXY1USt4Zz09
Passcode: 476034 or join by phone only at 1 669 444 9171. Enter the meeting id 835 3552 4943# and passcode *476034# when prompted.
Before the public comment period has begun, please use the raise hand feature in zoom so you can be recognized by the clerk to speak in the order received. If attending by phone dial *9 to raise your hand. The clerk will recognize you and unmute your microphone or phone for the comment period. It may be necessary to rejoin the zoom meeting for public comment after a closed session has concluded. The public meeting can be monitored at all times at https://sdcwa.12milesout.com.
After a closed session has concluded, the public can join and request to speak during the appropriate public comment period as stated above.
Members of the public will be given an opportunity to address each Standing Committee on any item listed their respective agendas, posted below, at the time the Standing Committee is considering the item.
to address the Board on items of interest within the subject matter of the Board, but not listed on the agenda (general public comment). Members of the public will also be given an opportunity to comment on any item on the Formal Board Agenda that was not previously addressed by a Standing Committee. No public comment will be taken on any item previously considered by Standing Committee unless the Board Chair determines that an item has changed substantially.
Each speaker is allowed to speak up to three minutes per agenda item. The Presiding Officer shall, however, exercise discretion to determine whether such period of time should be reduced or extended based upon such factors as the length of the agenda or substance of the agenda items, the number of public comment speaker cards submitted, the need for the Board to conclude its business as expeditiously as is practicable, and whether the Board is at risk of losing a quorum, among other factors. - INFORMATION ITEMS: Items are listed on the agenda as informational based on staff’s judgement. Circumstances or the committee’s judgements may require deliberation or, if necessary, action on these items. Any member of the public with an interest in one of these items should review the background material and request information on the possible action that could be taken.
- ASSISTANCE FOR THE DISABLED: If you are disabled in any way and need accommodation to participate in the Board meeting, please call the Clerk of the Board at (858) 522-6614 for assistance at least three (3) working days prior to the meeting so the necessary arrangements can be made.
- RULES GOVERNING MEETINGS: The Water Authority’s Administrative Code Chapter 2.00 governs conduct of meetings of the Board and the Committees. The Administrative Code is available online at www.sdcwa.org.
Board Officers
Members By District
Jim Desmond
County of San Diego – County Representative (non-voting member)


Roster of Committees, Task Forces, and Other Appointments
Committees
Administrative & Finance Committee
Gary Arant – Chair
Ismahan Abdullahi – Vice Chair
Michael Hogan – Vice Chair
Teresa Acosta
Jimmy Ayala
Clint Baze
Frank Hilliker
Gary Hurst
Mel Katz
Tom Kennedy
Jim Madaffer
Neal Meyers
Amy Reeh
John Simpson
Kyle Swanson
Engineering & Operations Committee
Joel Scalzitti – Chair
Jimmy Ayala – Vice Chair
Craig Elitharp – Vice Chair
Ismahan Abdullahi
Gary Arant
Jerry Butkiewicz
Steve Castaneda
Jim Desmond
Lois Fong-Sakai
Tom Kennedy
Valentine Macedo, Jr.
Dan McMillan
Marty Miller
Tim Smith
Ditas Yamane
Imported Water Committee
Consuelo Martinez – Chair
Jim Madaffer – Vice Chair
Marty Miller – Vice Chair
Jack Bebee
Steve Castaneda
Gary Croucher
Lois Fong-Sakai
Eric Heidemann
Michael Hogan
Mel Katz
Keith Lewinger
Neal Meyers
Joel Scalzitti
Nick Serrano
Fern Steiner
Legislation & Public Outreach Committee
Jerry Butkiewicz – Chair
Amy Reeh – Vice Chair
Fern Steiner – Vice Chair
Jack Bebee
Gary Croucher
Frank Hilliker
Lindsay Leahy
Joy Lyndes
Consuelo Martinez
Nick Serrano
John Simpson
Kyle Swanson
Matthew Vespi
Stephen Whitburn
Water Planning & Environmental Committee
Eric Heidemann – Chair
Valentine Macedo, Jr. – Vice Chair
Tim Smith – Vice Chair
Teresa Acosta
Clint Baze
Jim Desmond
Craig Elitharp
Gary Hurst
Lindsay Leahy
Keith Lewinger
Joy Lyndes
Dan McMillan
Matthew Vespi
Stephen Whitburn
Ditas Yamane
Audit Committee
Amy Reeh – Chair
Gary Hurst
Dan McMillan
Tim Smith
Work Groups
Colorado River Work Group
Jim Madaffer – Chair
Jack Bebee
Gary Croucher
Frank Hilliker
Michael Hogan
Mel Katz
Nick Serrano
Fern Steiner
Finance Planning Work Group
Frank Hilliker – Chair
Ismahan Abdullahi
Gary Arant
Michael Hogan
Jim Madaffer
Marty Miller
Brian Olney
Kim Thorner
Matthew Vespi
Labor Contract Work Group
Marty Miller – Chair
Gary Arant
Jerry Butkiewicz
Frank Hilliker
Mel Katz
Deannexation Work Group
Keith Lewinger – Chair
Gary Croucher
Eric Heidemann
Mel Katz
Consuelo Martinez
Nick Serrano
Fern Steiner
Board Governance Work Group
Michael Hogan – Chair
Ismahan Abdullahi
Frank Hilliker
Consuelo Martinez
Jim Madaffer
Tim Smith
Other Appointments
SANDAG Board
Mel Katz, Representative
Nick Serrano, Alternate
Consuelo Martinez, Alternate
SANDAG Borders Committee
Valentine Macedo, Jr., Representative
Steve Castaneda, Alternate
SANDAG Regional Planning Committee
Elsa Saxod, Representative
Craig Elitharp, Alternate
San Diego Area Wastewater Management District
Joel Scalzitti, Representative
Water Conservation Garden JPA
Dan McMillan, Representative
Kyle Swanson, Alternate
MWD Delegates
Lois Fong-Sakai
Gail Goldberg
Marty Miller
Tim Smith
Colorado River Board
Jim Madaffer, Representative
Eric Heidemann, Alternate
Committees as of March 20, 2023
*Interim assignment