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minutes 10-27-99Page 16 of 48
<br />the training, and maybe Richard can explain it better than I can, but it’s 13 modules that needs to be put
<br />in, needs to be trained, before we can be fully functional.
<br />HIGASHI: All I was interested in, Milton, is that because this Commission will exist, doing research
<br />and fact finding for the next five, six months then, if we are satisfied that there is an agreement in
<br />principal, or something is solid, and it’s nothing that we have to worry about, then as far as most of us
<br />will be concerned, I would be satisfied that the concern was alleviated.
<br />PAVAO: Okay, I understand. You want something in place, an actual executed agreement.
<br />HIGASHI: Yes, like Jiro was saying, seeing is believing, or maybe we’d be satisfied then.
<br />PAVAO: Okay, we have no problems doing that because, as I mentioned earlier, we agreed to do it quite
<br />some time ago.
<br />HIGASHI: You have an agreement in principal, so (indiscernible).
<br />RAY: Jiro, did you have a comment?
<br />SUMADA: Mr. Chairman, I was wondering, I’m kind of slow, and I’m thinking to Commissioner
<br />Martin’s comment, and I think whichever way the Charter Commission decides to present this, on the
<br />ballot or not, I don’t know how, or what rules need to be established so that, say the Commission doesn’t
<br />go with the merger option, that at a minimum, that you folks consider that there be a Commission over
<br />the Wastewater Division, by itself. I don’t know if that’s possible or if that requires a Charter
<br />Amendment also, to address this rate fee thing. And the reason I say that is the last cycle that Mr.
<br />Boucher went through to get the fee adjusted, it took, I think, a couple of years, if not more. Three years,
<br />Peter? Two or three years?
<br />BOUCHER: Yes, I believe so.
<br />SUMADA: And it carried over into different Councils, which was especially difficult. And in the
<br />meantime, General Funding was carrying the load, so there’s a need for that. And again, in my slow
<br />process of thinking, in line with what Commissioner Herkes was saying about total resource
<br />management from the start to the finish, I think there’s also concern for the amount of wastewater that
<br />isn’t re-used, we’re injecting it into the ground in some places. And, there’s also concern about
<br />contamination of drinking water. And there’s also concern about monitoring, or enforcing rules about
<br />cesspools, and that impact it has on ground water and drinking water, and that type of thing. So, there is
<br />some implications that it does make sense to look at it in that regard. But, in any case, I appreciate
<br />Commissioner Higashi’s statement that agreement would be nice, not that we don’t trust Mr. Pavao. We
<br />certainly do. Under his leadership, we were very impressed with his operation. I think that, even when I
<br />was in the private sector, the Department of Water Supply has enjoyed that reputation, and I think that,
<br />although Mr. Pavao feels that taking on wastewater would inhibit, or what can I say? I tend to look at it
<br />more that he can improve, or expand, his leadership role to improve, not only his department, but also
<br />another agency that has challenges.
<br />RAY: Thank you, Jiro. Let’s just go around. Sue, do you have anything?
<br />MARTIN: I just wanted to say one fast one before she gets into it. One quick one, if I may, Mr. Chair,
<br />on what Roland said about get an agreement in writing. And whatever changes need to be made, if, in
<br />fact, it does take a move in any County agency, do it. Put it in place, and it will make our decision a lot
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