They’ve tried it before, but the Santa Clara Valley Water
District will try it again: hosting its board meetings in the
evening to encourage more public participation.
They’ve tried it before, but the Santa Clara Valley Water District will try it again: hosting its board meetings in the evening to encourage more public participation.
The board of directors unanimously approved the resolution Tuesday to meet at 6 p.m. every second meeting of the month starting in July, while keeping its 9 a.m. meeting time for the first meeting each month. A six-month trial will determine if the board can build some momentum and draw more public opinion.
“I don’t think we want this organization to be under the radar. We want to be in people’s minds that what we do is important,” new Director Linda Lezotte said, who represents Willow Glen, Campbell and the Cambrian area in District 4.
Board chair and District 1 Director Don Gage was concerned with the extra cost of overtime to keep staff after regular work hours for the evening meetings.
“I’m struggling with this. I think we should play it by ear,” Gage said before siding with the majority of the board to try the structure for six months. Gage suggested hosting night meetings when issues would likely draw a crowd, such as groundwater rate setting, perchlorate or fluoridating the valley’s water. He pointed out that last year, of 43 meetings, 21 were held in the evening, however there was no consistency.
The board also decided to tend to closed session items before the evening meetings and to open public comment at any point during a meeting, so if people cannot make the 6 p.m. start time they still have an opportunity.
“Holding (evening meetings) to two, three hours are fine. When you start to push midnight, people don’t start to think well,” Gage said.
Board meetings will be held every second and fourth Tuesday at 9 a.m. at district headquarters on Almaden Expressway in San Jose until July. The board also voted Tuesday 7-0 to change the start time from 9:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.; special meetings are periodically called and will continue to begin at 9 a.m.
The water district provides wholesale drinking water and flood protection for 1.8 million residents of Santa Clara County. It employs about 800 people and has an annual budget of $315 million.
