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Tense times for Desert Hot Springs Mayor Pro Tem Karl Baker and the Mission Springs Water District

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on June 11, 2009 at 12:34 pm

From MyDesert.com:

Recent tensions between Desert Hot Springs Mayor Pro Tem Karl Baker and the Mission Springs Water District that serves the city are gaining steam.

Baker, who came under fire for a March 13 outburst at a MSWD employee that some deemed racially insensitive, filed a public records request to examine district travel, salaries, legal and consultant fees, and communications. Several of the items on the May 6 request focus on water district Engineering Manager Dan Patneaud, who formerly served as Public Works director for the city of Desert Hot Springs.

Baker said he’s worried the water district might be paying excess consulting fees to review and approve engineering projects since Patneaud does not have a Principal Engineer Certificate, an engineering license.

“There’s nothing in the job that says you will have to have this,” District General Manager Arden Wallum said Wednesday of the Principal Engineer Certificate. Other staff would handle such approvals regardless of whether Patneaud had the certificate, Wallum said.

Read more from MyDesert.com by clicking here.

June 11, 2009 · Filed Under Coachella Valley

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