When they looked across the packed boardroom at the start of Monday’s special meeting to review the county nomination of Dante Acosta to the board, SCV Water Agency directors told attendees their three minutes of public comment would be reduced to two minutes.
“It was a long night,” April Jacobs, board secretary, said Tuesday. “The vote for president and vice president was moved to the Feb. 5 board meeting.”
Despite that, with close to two hours of discussion about the nomination of Acosta to represent L.A. County Waterworks District 36, board members decided to put off electing their president and vice president.
The Acosta nomination was item 5.1 on Monday’s agenda, with 5.2 reserved for his pending approval.
Agenda items 5.3 and 5.4 pertained to the defining of roles — and election — of president and vice president.
However, once the public comments were heard and discussed in turn with each of the dozen board members present, it was time to take a vote on the nomination.
The majority of board members voted to accept Supervisor Kathryn Barger’s nomination of Dante Acosta.
It was not, however, a unanimous vote.
“Dante’s vote was eight ayes, three no’s, one recused and one absent,” Jacobs said.
Directors who voted for Acosta included: BJ Atkins, Tom Campbell, President Bill Cooper, Vice President Maria Gutzeit, Bob DiPrimio, Jerry Gladbach, RJ Kelly and Gary Martin.
Those opposed to approving the nomination included: husband and wife directors Ed and Kathy Colley and Lynne Plambeck.
Director Dan Mortenson recused himself from the agenda item, citing a possible conflict of interest.
Director Jacque McMillan was absent.
661-287-5527
On Twitter
@jamesarthurholt
