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Garcia hopeful for better teamwork between IID & Coachella Valley

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on May 2, 2008 at 5:43 am

From the Imperial Valley Press:

Assemblywoman Bonnie Garcia said this week she is confident an agreement reached with the Imperial Irrigation District will lead to more accountability and transparency.

Garcia, R-Cathedral City, pulled the bill she authored that could have seen the district split energy and water if Coachella Valley voters supported it. An agreement was reached with Garcia hours before the bill was to be heard by the local government committee. “That was our goal all along,” Garcia said of the compromise. “Never at any time was it an attempt to dilute the board or move control of the water or energy into anybody else’s hands.”

When reports surfaced of Garcia’s spot bill that was later authored to call for a vote if Coachella customers made up 75 percent of IID’s ratepayers, some called it a resource grab. IID said the legislation would have caused irreparable harm to the district.

Much of the uproar, Garcia said, was caused by the media. “I think that this issue got hijacked by those that would have liked to have seen an adversarial stance on my side or their side,” Garcia said.

The six-point plan includes a long-term energy-planning process set to begin by July 31 and regularly scheduled executive meetings with IID General Manager Brian Brady and elected officials from the Coachella area.

Read more from the Imperial Valley Press by clicking here.

May 2, 2008 · Filed Under Imperial Irrigation District & Imperial Valley