Kennedy replaces Sanford as Rainbow's CWA representative

Tom Kennedy has replaced Dennis Sanford as the Rainbow Municipal Water District representative on the San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA) board.

Sanford's final SDCWA board meeting as a director was on Jan. 22, and the CWA honored him on his retirement that day. Kennedy was seated during the CWA's Feb. 26 meeting.

"I look forward to sending a dedicated delegate from Rainbow to this body well into the future," Sanford said.

Member agency representatives on the CWA board are selected by their agencies' governing bodies. A member agency representative is not required to be a board member or staff member, nor are they required to live within the boundaries of that member agency.

"For me it's more of an honor for the board to have faith in my capabilities and appoint me to that position," Kennedy said.

Sanford was appointed to Rainbow's board in early 2011 to replace Paul Georgantas, who resigned from the board due to employment-based relocation. After Rainbow CWA representative Gerald Walson passed away in February 2012, Sanford replaced Walson on the CWA board and was seated at the March 22, 2012, CWA board meeting.

"Over the time it's been a very educational experience for me, and I've enjoyed every minute of it," Sanford said of his tenure on the CWA board. "It's a good organization and, I think, functions well."

During his nearly three years on the CWA board, Sanford had chaired the Audit Committee and had served on three of the CWA's five permanent committees: Administrative and Finance Committee, Legislation, Conservation and Outreach Committee, and Water Planning Committee. "It's a pretty complex operation and one that requires a lot of focus," he said of the CWA.

"It's time-consuming," Kennedy said. "It's a big time commitment, that's for sure."

George McManigle, who had been Rainbow's board president, was defeated in his re-election attempt in November. Sanford, who had been the vice-president of the Rainbow board, was selected to become Rainbow's president.

"As the new president of Rainbow it caused me to reflect," Sanford said. "I stepped down because I wanted to focus on what I needed to focus on."

The Fallbrook Public Utility District (FPUD) has submitted an application to San Diego County's Local Agency Formation Commission to merge FPUD and Rainbow. The Rainbow board opposes the consolidation under the proposed governance terms. "I decided to dedicate my time and energy to the hostile takeover," Sanford said.

In 2013, FPUD and Rainbow formed the North County Joint Powers Authority as a transitional structure to test the possibility of consolidating the Fallbrook and Rainbow districts. After functional consolidation was demonstrated to be successful, the North County JPA and the two agency boards began discussing jurisdictional consolidation.

The two boards reached an impasse regarding whether directors of the merged agency should be elected at large or by territorial unit and, in March 2014, Rainbow's board voted 4-1 to withdraw from the JPA. Sanford cast the dissenting vote. "I still believe that there's some merit to a consolidation," Sanford said, indicating support either for a jurisdictional consolidation with all board members elected by territorial unit or for a revival of a functional consolidation agreement.

In addition to the issues regarding the proposed merger, Rainbow's board will also be working on a strategic planning process and on the annual rate changes. "There's a lot of activity that's going to require his guidance as president of the board to work us through those topics," Kennedy said.

CWA board members have formal six-year terms with expiration dates, although they are eligible for reappointment to another term if the local agency does not have a policy on maximum terms. Sanford's term expired in February 2015, so regardless of Sanford's decision, the Rainbow board needed to approve a resolution either reappointing Sanford or selecting another CWA representative. Kennedy was thus appointed for a new six-year term which expires in February 2021.

"I'm just there to help serve the interests of the Rainbow ratepayers," Kennedy said.

Kennedy had been the operations manager of the Olivenhain Municipal Water District before taking over as Rainbow's general manager on Aug. 28. He had two tenures with the Olivenhain district; after being employed by the district from 1999 to 2006, he spent 20 months in the private sector before returning to Olivenhain in 2007.

"I have a lot of experience at the Water Authority the last 15 years," Kennedy said.

During his orientation, Kennedy knew most of the CWA staff members who meet new directors.

In addition to the CWA's monthly board meetings, the CWA also works with member agency general managers. "A lot of the day-to-day activities of the Water Authority involve the general managers," Sanford said.

"As the general manager we have other meetings at the Water Authority and I have a lot of additional information," Kennedy said.

Kennedy noted that in his role as Rainbow's general manager he devotes his time to water utility (including wastewater) issues and that board members often have full-time jobs which don't involve such matters. "I'm there working every day on these topics," he said.

Kennedy will serve, at least initially, on the CWA's Administrative and Finance Committee and the Water Planning Committee.