Sahib
”
Cy
”
Mann, a Morgan Hill resident, is the newest member of the board
of directors for the Santa Clara Valley Water District.
A cattle rancher who owns a farm in northwest Morgan Hill and a
Realtor, Mann said he hopes to bring a
”
fresh set of eyes
”
to the board of directors.
Sahib “Cy” Mann, a Morgan Hill resident, is the newest member of the board of directors for the Santa Clara Valley Water District.
A cattle rancher who owns a farm in northwest Morgan Hill and a Realtor, Mann said he hopes to bring a “fresh set of eyes” to the board of directors.
“What I hope to do is really get out there and talk to everybody that is affected by the Santa Clara Valley Water District,” Mann said, adding it is an “honor” to have been selected.
The board chose Mann to fill an open seat left vacant with longtime Director Sig Sanchez retired in January. About 14 people submitted applications to fill the seat, and the board interviewed all the applicants before making their selection.
He was selected after two rounds of public votes cast by the other six directors at a board meeting Tuesday.
“Mr. Mann, a lifelong resident of Santa Clara County, will be an excellent board member and will support the South County community very well,” board Chair Richard Santos said. “His background gives him a good understanding and insight into the environmental, water supply and flood protection issues.”
Mann represents the county as a whole, but in November he could be eligible to run for a seat to represent the district that includes South County. He said Wednesday that he doesn’t yet know if he will run in the election.
One of Mann’s first big decisions on the board will be the setting of groundwater charges in April. He said in consideration of recent litigation challenging the legality of the charges, it will be important and challenging to educate taxpayers and property owners about the services the water district provides.
“People need to be educated on what recharging our water basin means,” Mann said. “I’d like to take a proactive position and help people understand it. It’s everybody’s job to understand what we are paying for and how we are paying for it.”
He added that he will seek “collaborative” solutions to problems such as disagreement between the public agency and the taxpayers on groundwater charges.
“If you ram something down my throat, we ain’t having it in South County. I’m not saying the water district has done that in the past, but we want outreach and education,” Mann said.
In a cover letter submitted to the board Jan. 23, Mann noted he has been a rancher in Morgan Hill for about 10 years. He also works as a licensed Realtor, and said in his letter that his experience as the owner of a business – Mann Brothers Equipment – qualifies him to serve as a water district director.
He has also served on the water district’s Coyote Flood Control and Watershed and environmental committees. He is a member of Santa Clara County Farm Bureau and the California Cattlemen’s Association.
Also included with Mann’s application for the director’s seat were letters of recommendation from county supervisors Dave Cortese and George Shirakawa.
The water district provides water supply and flood protection to the county’s 1.8 million people. The agency employs about 750 people and manages an annual budget of $305 million.
