Board of Directors Represent the Region’s Water Agencies
The Water Authority’s 22 member agencies are represented through a 34-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 COMMITTEES’ REGULAR MEETING
9:00 A.M. JANUARY 23, 2025
BOARD ROOM
WATER AUTHORITY HEADQUARTERS BUILDING
4677 OVERLAND AVENUE, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
The meeting is open to the public and accessible electronically by going to the web link at SDCWA.org 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 & 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 any other public information provided to the Board or 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 TIME: The morning session of the Standing Committees will commence at 9:00 a.m., and any afternoon session of the Standing Committees may commence at the conclusion of the morning session and earlier than 12:00 p.m. Please see the meeting schedule. The meeting of the full Board may commence 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 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 here: ZOOM LINK
Passcode: 160066 or join by phone only at 1-669-444-9171. Enter the meeting id 822 9941 8288# and passcode *160066# 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 on their respective agendas, posted below, at the time the Standing Committee is considering the item.
During the Formal Board of Directors Meeting, members of the public will be given an opportunity to address the Board on items of interest within the subject matter of the Board, but not listed on the agenda (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 the Standing Committee unless the Board Chair determines that an item has changed substantially.
Each speaker is allowed to speak for 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 information based on staff’s judgment. Circumstances or the committee’s or Board’s judgments 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 the conduct of meetings of the Board and the Committees. The Administrative Code is available online at www.sdcwa.org.
Board Officers
Members By District
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Vicki Quiram
Carlsbad Municipal Water District
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Teresa Acosta
Carlsbad Municipal Water District
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Mel Katz
Del Mar, City of
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Rick Paul
Escondido, City of
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Dan McMillan
Helix Water District
-
Joel Scalzitti
Helix Water District
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Frank Hilliker
Lakeside Water District
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Ditas Yamane
National City, City of
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Lindsay Leahy
Oceanside, City of
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Neal Meyers
Olivenhain Municipal Water District
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Gary Croucher
Otay Water District
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Vacant
Otay Water District
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Rocky Qualin
Padre Dam Municipal Water District
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Eric Heidemann
Poway, City of
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Princess Norman
Ramona Municipal Water District
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Clint Baze
Rincon del Diablo Municipal Water District
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Stephen Whitburn
San Diego, City of
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Jim Madaffer
San Diego, City of
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Vacant
San Diego, City of
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Valentine Macedo Jr.
San Diego, City of
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Matthew Vespi
San Diego, City of
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Fern Steiner
San Diego, City of
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Ismahan Abdullahi
San Diego, City of
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Lois Fong-Sakai
San Diego, City of
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Jerry Butkiewicz
San Diego, City of
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Nick Serrano
San Diego, City of
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Joy Lyndes
San Dieguito Water District
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Dana Friehauf
Santa Fe Irrigation District
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Steve Castaneda
South Bay Water
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Craig Elitharp
Vallecitos Water District
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Gary Arant
Valley Center Municipal Water District
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Marty Miller
Vista Irrigation District
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Amy Reeh
Yuima Municipal Water District
Jim Desmond
County of San Diego – County Representative (non-voting member)
Roster of Committees, Task Forces, and Other Appointments
Committees
Administrative & Finance Committee
Ismahan Abdullahi – Chair
Gary Arant – Vice Chair
Ditas Yamane – Vice Chair
Teresa Acosta
Gary Croucher
Bill Eich
Craig Elitharp
Frank Hilliker
Lindsay Leahy
Princess Norman
Rocky Qualin
Nick Serrano
Matt Vespi
Stephen Whitburn
Engineering & Operations Committee
Amy Reeh – Chair
Lois Fong-Sakai – Vice Chair
Eric Heidemann – Vice Chair
Ismahan Abdullahi
Gary Arant
Clint Baze
Jerry Butkiewicz
Jim Desmond
Dana Friehauf
Lindsay Leahy
Dan McMillan
Vicki Quiram
Vacant – Otay WD
Vacant – City of San Diego
Imported Water Committee
Neal Meyers – Chair
Jim Madaffer – Vice Chair
Fern Steiner – Vice Chair
Steve Castaneda
Gary Croucher
Craig Elitharp
Lois Fong-Sakai
Eric Heidemann
Mel Katz
Marty Miller
Rick Paul
Vicki Quiram
Joel Scalzitti
Nick Serrano
Legislation & Public Outreach Committee
Valentine Macedo, Jr. – Chair
Teresa Acosta – Vice Chair
Amy Reeh – Vice Chair
Jerry Butkiewicz
Bill Eich
Frank Hilliker
Mel Katz
Joy Lyndes
Jim Madaffer
Princess Norman
Rocky Qualin
Fern Steiner
Stephen Whitburn
Ditas Yamane
Water Planning & Environmental Committee
Marty Miller – Chair
Dana Friehauf – Vice Chair
Matt Vespi – Vice Chair
Clint Baze
Steve Castaneda
Jim Desmond
Joy Lyndes
Valentine Macedo, Jr.
Dan McMillan
Neal Meyers
Rick Paul
Joel Scalzitti
Vacant – Otay WD
Vacant – City of San Diego
Audit Committee
Gary Arant – Chair
Lindsay Leahy
Rick Paul
Joel Scalzitti
Matt Vespi
Work Groups
Resource Strategy Work Group
Jim Madaffer – Chair
Dana Friehauf
Frank Hilliker
Mel Katz
Joy Lyndes
Marty Miller
Nick Serrano
Fern Steiner
Settlement Agreement Advisors
Gary Arant
Neal Meyers
Fern Steiner
Matt Vespi
Other Appointments
SANDAG Board
Joy Lyndes, Representative
Joel Scalzitti, Alternate
Valentine Macedo, Jr., Alternate
SANDAG Borders Committee
Valentine Macedo, Jr., Representative
Steve Castaneda, Alternate
SANDAG Regional Planning Committee
Ditas Yamane, Representative
Joel Scalzitti, Alternate
San Diego Area Wastewater Management District
Joel Scalzitti, Representative
Water Conservation Garden JPA
Dan McMillan, Representative
Gary Croucher, Alternate
MWD Delegates
Lois Fong-Sakai
Gail Goldberg
Mel Katz
Marty Miller
Colorado River Board
Jim Madaffer, Representative
Eric Heidemann, Alternate
Committees as of January 1, 2025
*Interim assignment