Dear Community,

There has been an increasing amount of armed conflict abroad. Although our service toward public interest is focused on this community, we are concerned with public interest overall and our hearts extend to all those affected by the recent and ongoing tragedies.

On the home front, we’ve welcomed respite from the spate of major main breaks and service lateral leaks that represented acute challenges last month. One of the main breaks, the 12” pipe running through the Rosemont Avenue overpass that failed and shut down the 210 Freeway, presented an opportunity for partnership with Caltrans. District staff recognized that coordinating overpass inspections with Caltrans’ schedule would provide both agencies more efficiency as well as understanding (thank you to Operations & Maintenance Manager Darlene Telles for identifying this idea). This builds on our theme of increasing partnership with first responder agencies. For example, the District will host the last part of our local CERT team’s training series offered in conjunction with the Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station.

The County has sent out annual property tax bills. The capital charge of $194 for most households was recently implemented to get ahead of main breaks, such as the Rosemont overpass currently being repaired. A quick online search will show that these events are beginning to accelerate, some with disastrous consequences turning communities into campgrounds (without water or wastewater service) from Ventura County to Orange County. The capital charge won’t eliminate such disasters for us but it will accelerate infrastructure replacement so we can minimize them and better manage them when they do happen – for example, making sure fire hydrants are replaced and properly maintained and that the hydrants are backed by pipelines with appropriate pressure so the fire department can put fires out. If you happened to miss this discussion, there is a wealth of public outreach materials on our website. Our customer service staff is ready to answer questions, and you can speak with me directly as well. Please remember that you may opt to place the charge on your utility bill instead (for next year).

Meanwhile, we are finalizing our Bill Assistance Program, which represents an augmented level of assistance to accommodate for the capital charge.

The board of directors recently hired a new audit firm after a number of years with the prior firm based on best practices for maintaining independence. SingerLewak is a national firm with a public agency practice that analyzes and examines the District’s financial records, checks and balances, and measures for financial accountability. The annual audit takes several months and early next year the final report will join other annual financial audit reports on our website.

I had written previously about recruiting for a Regulatory & Public Affairs manager and a communications consultant to update and engage with you more consistently on topics such as main breaks, the capital charge or upcoming conservation mandates from the state that are around the corner. We are very pleased to announce that Patrick Atwater has recently joined our team. He brings a lot of horsepower to this role having served the water industry in various roles. He’s also a local, having played football for CV High (Go, Falcons!) and growing up on CVWD tap water. Look for him at community events, along with Jennifer Bautista who was recently promoted to Regulatory & Public Affairs specialist to provide additional support in an area of investment for the District.

Finally, board director Judy Tejeda recently announced that she will be retiring at year’s end following more than 30 years of service to the District and the community for which she was always a vocal champion. During a recent ceremony to dedicate a reservoir to her next to Rosemont Middle School, dignitaries from CV Town Council, the offices of Supervisor Kathryn Barger, State Senator Anthony Portantino, Congressman Adam Schiff and Glendale Community College came to represent their appreciation for her service to the community. Director Tejeda provided an incredible model of stewardship and public service that we strive to achieve every day in our work at CVWD. The board is seeking a member who will contribute to the community with their opinions and experiences. We will publicize the opening around the community. Please reach out to us to inquire about the position.

Thank you as always and talk soon.

James Lee, General Manager
CVWD