The Water Replenishment District of Southern California’s board stripped its president of her title at a special meeting Friday, Jan. 29, in a rebuke of her months-long push to hire former Carson Mayor Albert Robles as the district’s general manager.
Board member Rob Katherman, who authored the recommendation to revoke Vera Robles DeWitt’s presidency, said the now-former board president damaged WRD’s reputation in her determination to find a job for Robles. The attempted hiring of Robles was publicly opposed by more than a dozen state and federal legislators, 16 cities, two county supervisors and the union representing the district’s employees.
“Based on President DeWitt’s actions over the past six months, it is my belief that President DeWitt’s conduct has been legally questionable and not in the best interest of the district, its employees, or our 4 million constituents,” Katherman wrote in his recommendation. “Her actions could lead to an overall loss of faith in the board’s ability to carry out its duties in a free, fair and transparent manner.”
Katherman said he feared the controversy could impact the district’s state and federal funding. A lobbyist for the district warned of that possibility last month.
At Friday’s special meeting, Katherman — along with board members John Allen and Willard Murray Jr. — forced DeWitt out of her leadership role in a 3-1 vote. Allen, who was named vice president earlier this month, won the election to replace her. Board member Sergio Calderon, who was absent from the meeting, was elevated to Allen’s former position.
Hopes to restore peace
Allen said in an interview that he hopes to use his new position to restore peace between board members, so the district can return its focus on key water projects.
“I’m hopeful and expectant that we are going to go forward and take care of the basins, and make sure the basins — and Southern California’s regions — are more drought resilient, more sustainable,” he said. “I want to get back to business.”
DeWitt challenges allegations
At a committee meeting Thursday, Jan. 28, DeWitt alleged, in a line-by-line dissection of Katherman’s recommendation, that her colleagues were using false information to paint her in a negative light. DeWitt pointed to references Katherman made to an alleged Brown Act violation during the earliest vote to hire Robles as general manager.
An expert told the Southern California News Group that the vote in question likely did not violate the state’s open government law, but the district’s union, as well as a local congresswoman, took the opposite stance. Neither opinion is conclusive, as only a court could make the final call. The matter became moot anyway when the board cured the alleged violation by rejecting Robles’ most recent contract.
‘Entitled males’ push agenda
In her response, DeWitt denied acting “legally questionable” and instead accused Allen and Katherman of causing a loss of faith in the board’s ability to carry out its duties.
“How did I violate the public’s trust? Was it because I didn’t follow the lead of the entitled males of the board who wanted to anoint the next general manager and assistant general manager?” DeWitt said Thursday. “This is the height of hypocrisy. I attempted on more than one occasion to bring discussion and suggestions to the open board meetings. Not to do a backroom deal.”
DeWitt did not bring up her objections again following Friday’s vote and instead thanked her colleagues for their support in the past.
“I look forward to working with all of you and the staff of WRD over the next four years so WRD can continue to do great things — great projects — in our service area,” she said.
While the presidency is largely ceremonious, the board’s president can control what appears on the agendas. The president can bring items forward without a recommendation from staff or a committee. DeWitt, who until recently had the support of the board’s majority, used the position to recommend proposals to hire Robles three separate times.
Campaign to hire Robles
The board was initially considering Robles for an assistant general manager position on Dec. 3 when DeWitt made a successful motion to hire him as general manager instead. But when a contract for a six-month interim position came back two weeks later, it failed to garner enough support. DeWitt and Robles had proposed the interim position as a compromise in light of the objections from stakeholders. On Jan. 21, DeWitt brought back yet another contract for Robles — this time for three years — even though a majority of her colleagues had already publicly thrown their support behind a different candidate.
A new majority on the board ultimately rejected Robles’ contract again and chose to hire Stephan Tucker, a longtime Los Angeles Department of Water and Power employee, as its interim general manager. Tucker will take the reins of the district in April following the retirement of the current general manager Robb Whitaker and is expected to serve in the role for up to six months while a search for a permanent leader takes place.
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