Stalemate Ends: Jean Mariani Voted Onto Novato Sanitary District Board
First female board member has an extensive history in wastewater treatment.
History was made by the Novato Sanitary District on Thursday evening.
* The board of directors had one of the fastest meetings in its history, going only about 10 minutes before adjourning.
* The board, so divided in its political makeup that discussions have been reduced to bickering on many occasions, made a unanimous decision on one of the most controversial agenda items in recent decades.
* And most importantly, Jean Mariani became the first female board member in the district’s 86-year history, filling the seat left open by the retired James Fritz.
After four previous meetings of either not voting at all or supporting other candidates, director George Quesada elected to support Mariani and go along with fellow directors Bill Long and Mike Di Giorgio, who had motioned to approve Mariani’s nomination for four consecutive meetings.
The five-seat board only had three seats occupied Thursday because director Dennis Welsh was on vacation. He had been a staunch supporter of candidate Suzanne Brown Crow, who couldn’t get the decisive third vote needed to approve a new board member.
Mariani is recognized statewide for her expertise in wastewater treatment, having served as president of the California Association of Sanitation Agencies as well as on the board of the Central Marin Sanitation Agency.
“Novato Sanitary District is very fortunate to have someone with Jean Mariani’s talent and experience as their newest board member,” said Beverly James, the district’s manager/engineer. “She has deep roots in Novato and Marin County having grown up here and lived most of her life either in Novato or Ross Valley. … Her extensive background in utility finance and rate setting will be particularly valuable in the coming years as the district faces the challenge of funding needed improvements to the sewer system in a tight economy.”
For another account of Thursday’s meeting, click here.
Tina McMillan
7:59 am on Friday, May 27, 2011
Wonderful news. Glad to hear that common sense prevailed.
Tom S Baker
8:24 am on Friday, May 27, 2011
How many people were at the meeting last night ? I know you said count me in , and we would like to know if you went.
Bob Laru
8:32 am on Friday, May 27, 2011
Now DiGiorgio and Long have their third vote to push the agenda of deception. Look for hundreds of thousands of dolllars being approved to defend the sludge dump into the bay and to extend Veolia's contract out twenty years. Welcome aboard Jean!
Bart
10:14 am on Friday, May 27, 2011
"BOB", you're supposed to be on "vacation". Enjoy yourself. Don't worry, be happy.
Julius
2:08 pm on Friday, May 27, 2011
What does your comment on "hundreds of thousands of dollars being approved to defend the sludge dump into the bay" refer to? Is it the frame that director/retiree Dennis Welsh and operator/felon Jim Lynch tried to put on the district management, and that the Department of Justice refused to prosecute? If so, the district is right to defend itself against union frameups.
jim k
3:28 pm on Friday, May 27, 2011
"Mariani is recognized statewide for her expertise in wastewater treatment, having served as president of the California Association of Sanitation Agencies as well as on the board of the Central Marin Sanitation Agency"..... impressive work history, too bad(not for her though) she works for veolia now.
gallagher
11:06 am on Saturday, May 28, 2011
"Mariani is recognized statewide for her expertise in wastewater treatment, having served as president of the California Association of Sanitation Agencies as well as on the board of the Central Marin Sanitation Agency.".... Very impressive and substantive history of public service, in contrast to self-proclaimed "expert" former employee/current newbie Board member Welsh who obstructed her selection. Hopefully, now the Sanitary Board (or at least 4 of the 5 Board members) can go back to working for who they report to, namely the taxpayers of Novato.
Mark Schoenbaum
11:57 am on Saturday, May 28, 2011
The same ratepayers that voted to employ Veolia to operate the plant more efficiently, and the same ratepayers that Welsh could care less about since he is only upset that Veolia is on board and thinks that he is there to impose his personal feelings instead of representing the public.
Edwin Drake
8:38 pm on Saturday, May 28, 2011
Question: How's that Veolia thing working out so far? Money in? Money out? Rate increases? What's the update?
Julius
5:04 pm on Sunday, May 29, 2011
The district's Spring newsletter from last March (on the district website) said, "The District’s new treatment plant is now nearly fully operational and its new odor control system—the last part of the plant to be completed—is working well. The discharge of the plant is of exceptionally high quality. The plant has dramatically decreased the District’s carbon footprint, lowered greenhouse gas generation, through greater energy efficiency, improved water quality and the new contracted operator, Veolia, is performing very well."
From various agenda packets on the district website, the last two monthly treatment plant operating reports showed no permit exceedances, and effluent quality readings all substantially below permit requirements. The most recent quarterly budget report from the April 25 agenda packet, dated April 22, shows contract operation expenditures at $1,594,547.31, which is 66.6% of budget with 66.7% of the budget year completed.
As for rates, the minutes from the district's March 5 long-range planning workshop (also on the district's website) said, "The Board discussed a potential rate increase and the Manager stated the financial analysis indicated that there was no need for a rate increase this year. She stated that the District should use this year to evaluate the rate structure and complete the strategic plan in order to better determine the rate next year."
MaGee
5:32 pm on Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Read it and weep Novato.
http://advanceindiana.blogspot.com/2010/10/surprise-youre-paying-29-million-to.html
Hopefully Mariani has more sense than the "Unholy Trinity" did. But then 'ol George voted for it too.
Julius
11:17 am on Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Read it if you like, but keep in mind that this is a seven-month-old hit piece on an anti-Veolia blog run by the Indianapolis public-employee unions. And take it with a grain of salt.
Gomez
11:56 pm on Wednesday, June 1, 2011
I wonder what they offered 'ol George to change his vote so quick after making such a stink for weeks? Maybe to continue his medical benefits after he is voted out of office in November? From "Unholy Trinity" to best buds again. Strange indeed, but then it is the NSD board.
Julius
11:00 am on Thursday, June 2, 2011
George Quesada had run out of time to delay the appointment of a highly-qualified opponent in the November election. He changed his vote on the last possible day before the matter went out of his hands to the Board of Supervisors. I wouldn't call that "best buds." Gomez makes no attempt to back up his accusation of bribery; in fact, providing medical benefits to any private citizen (such as a former director) would be impossible as a "gift of public funds."
By the way, it's telling how quickly the Welsh-Crow-Teamsters crowd has turned on George now that his usefulness is over. At his age, he should have known better than to swim with the sharks.