More bad news from MID

This would have been a far more useful story if the reporter had bothered to ask and record the answers to these simple questions: did the California Environmental Protection Agency investigate the allegations against Merced Irrigation District? What did it find? What enforcement action was or might be taken? A quote "cannot comment because of an ongoing investigation" from CEPA would have added a nice symetry to the story.
As it is, what we have is a brief report of a legal brief filed on behalf of an aggrieved employee of MID and a whole lot of reporter dodging by an agency that finds it extremely difficult to comply with a California Public Records Act request.
MID's latest managing director is a member of the family of an MID board member who doesn't pay her bills. Director Suzy Hulgren parlayed a few public rants against Riverside Motorsports Park promoter, John Condren, lies and financial double-dealing into a seat on the board, with the help of the Merced County Farm Bureau and California Women for Agriculture. She was, however, unsuccessful as the frontwoman for the farm bureau and CWA in the attempt to bankrupt her partners in the RMP lawsuit, San Joaquin Raptor Rescue Center and Protect Our Water, or to financially damage two law firms, Don E. Mooney and Associates and Sproul and Troost, who represented the petitioners against the race track project.
MID is a troubled agency. Its management and its board are weak. In the story below, the issue is related to MID's Great Electricity Utility Plan to copy its sister districts to the north in Turlock and Modeso. But it would be typical of MID to screw up the environmental regulatory side of the plan. The agency enters a critical period in its history, including FERC relicensing of the hydroelectric plant on Exchequer Dam and the Integrated Regional Water Management Plan directed by the state Department of Water Resources, with leadership unavailable for comment.
Badlands Journal editorial boar
 
7-30-10
Merced Sun-Star
Ex-Merced Irrigation District worker sues company, alleging retaliation...JONAH OWEN LAMB
http://www.mercedsunstar.com/2010/07/30/v-print/1512211/ex-merced-irrigation-district.html
A former employee of the Merced Irrigation District is suing the agency in Merced County Superior Court for allegedly retaliating against him after he reported to the state that the district was knowingly polluting the area's groundwater with chemicals.
Ramiro Ceja, who resigned from the district in February 2010, filed a civil lawsuit July 20 against MID. It claimed that he was retaliated against after reporting to the California Environmental Protection Agency (CEPA) that MID was knowingly polluting groundwater through the district's underground electrical distribution lines.
MID's legal counsel, Ken Robbins, said the district couldn't comment on the matter since it was personnel-related.
MID's general manager, John Sweigard, couldn't be reached for comment.
The case revolves around underground electrical lines whose junction boxes are encased in cement vaults, known as subsurface utility vaults, or SUVs.
Since SUVs are below grade, when it rains the boxes can fill with water. Periodically  the vaults must be drained. Since there are petroleum hydrocarbons and chemical contaminants that may have gotten into the water from the electrical hardware, the vaults must have the water removed in a specific way. According to the suit, instead of removing the water in the vaults according to strict guidelines, MID punched holes in the bottom of the vaults, which may have allowed contaminated water to drain into the surrounding groundwater.
In 2006, Ceja first observed such practices and notified MID management. They did nothing, the suit alleged.
After years of attempts to stop the practice, in July 2009 Ceja filed a complaint with CEPA.
What followed, alleged the suit, was a campaign of retaliation.
In October 2009, Ceja was demoted from a supervisor position to one several steps below without cause, the suit said. Subsequently, he was harassed and finally he resigned, according to his lawsuit.
12-23-09
Merced Sun-Star
Merced Irrigation District hires new general manager
John Sweigard held the same position in the Patterson Irrigation District...JONAH OWEN LAMB
http://www.mercedsunstar.com/167/v-print/story/1243834.html
Merced Irrigation District's board of directors hired a new general manager Friday, filling a seat vacated by Dan Pope who resigned in July.
The new general manager, John Sweigard, 38, will start his $170,000-a-year job Jan. 11. He was formerly the general manager of Patterson Irrigation District for more than a decade, and sat on the San Luis and Delta Mendota Water Authority boards.
Sweigard, from Merced, is also MID Director Suzy Hultgren's cousin. (Hultgren is a voting member on the board that hired Sweigard.) She could not be reached for comment.
"He is a very talented young man of 38, was the manager of Patterson Irrigation District and he comes highly recommended," said MID director Wil Hunter.
According to an MID announcement, Sweigard has an agricultural engineering degree from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and went to Livingston High School. In addition to his experience in Patterson, he is a member of the U.S Committee on Irrigation and Drainage. He first worked for the MID while in college as a night patrolman and a canal tender. He could not be reached for comment.
Sweigard's wide experience will be an asset to the district, said Board Chair Tim Pellessier. "He has experience dealing with the regulators, the legislature and that helps us," he said.
MID paid JP Zopolos & Associates Inc., a local job hiring firm, $56,000 to search for a new general manager, according to MID.
Starting in October, Jim Zopolos began calling irrigation districts from Chico to Bakersfield in search of a new general manager, he said.
He did not advertise the position, Zopolos said.
"I don't advertise," he said. "If you put an ad in the newspaper you don't find the quality people. John Sweigard was not out looking for a job."
During the search period, Zopolos interviewed 60 people and finally recommended two candidates for an interview with the board, he said.
This was the first time his firm worked for MID, and the first time he'd recruited for a public entity, he said.
The district chose to hire the firm so it could quickly hire a qualified general manger, said Pellessier.
When MID hired Pope, it advertised the position in niche water publications, said Pellessier. They decided to change their recruitment methods this time since it took so long last time.
Hunter agreed with the process. "I thought it was best to open up for all applicants and be fair with everyone," he said despite the lack of public notification for the position. Hunter also said he wanted to look for a new general manager from outside of MID.
The interim general manager, Hicham Eltal, was also promoted recently to deputy general manager with a salary of $145,000.