Return to
HOME PAGE

Return to Menu of
WATER ISSUES ON THE PENINSULA

From the Monterey County Herald
Serving Monterey County and the Salinas Valley

Posted on Mar. 22, 2004

Your town

MONTEREY DISTRICT LOOKS AT HRING LOBYIST

The Monterey Peninsula Water Management District is considering hiring a consultant to represent it in Sacramento.

Currently, the proposal to hire a consultant is being researched by the district's staff at the request of Avin Edwards, chairman of the district's board. The consultant, if hired, would keep the water district informed about developments in the state government and the State Assembly that could affect water service on the Monterey Peninsula, said Fran Farina, the district's general manager.

"Unless you have someone there participating in the process, you can't follow what's going on," said Farina. "They're able to walk the halls all day long."

Farina said that the consultant's primary duty would be to follow the progress of Sen. Bruce McPherson's bill to expedite the development of a new water source for the Peninsula. Last year, McPherson, R-Santa Cruz, introduced a bill that would have dissolved the water board and replaced it with a panel of Peninsula mayors. The bill got stuck in committee.