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IRVINE: Were you suggesting that we make this department semi- <br />autonomous, as Water? <br />SANTANGELO: Yes. <br />IRVINE: Okay. It's certainly a thought. I do think that we were talking, <br />initially, a lot about a Commission, an Environmental Commission, and l definitely <br />think we should attach a Commission to this department, who might be advisory to <br />even the Water Commission as well. 1 think Water does need to get integrated with <br />this at some point. <br />SANTANGELO: Sue, the reason I went there was just a Commission has very little <br />impact at all, 1 mean, on anything. It's advisory and people don't listen. If you make this <br />semi -autonomous, understand that I think that Commission is definitely, as with the <br />Water Commission, they're dealing with millions of dollars, they're setting policy, <br />they're setting the budget, they're hiring and firing, and they're the ones that say which <br />tanks get set up and what new lines get put in. They are definitely different from any <br />other Commission, quote, in the County government, and I just warn you about that. <br />It's different. <br />HIGASHI: I feel uncomfortable by having a Commission in this case because <br />they cannot support themselves. To begin with, Water has a source of income, where <br />• a department like this may not have an adequate source of income to operate itself, so <br />we may have to recognize that portion of having a semi -autonomous group. <br />HERKES: The Commission could be in the ordinance. <br />RAY: I think the question is, recognizing that there's not that source of <br />income, does it make sense to set it up that way? <br />SANTANGELO: But is that true, Mr. Chairman? <br />RAY: George, you had something to say? <br />MARTIN: I think it's a pretty simple solution to that problem. If, in fact, it goes <br />semi -autonomous and they don't have a working budget to begin with, we put in the <br />Charter that for the first four years, or whatever, they shall be budgeted by, and after <br />that time, they either sink or swim. <br />IRVINE: I think they might sink. I hate to say that. People are more likely to <br />pay for water than sewers. <br />RAY: Roland. <br />1110 HIGASHI: In the scope of this thinking, and we're talking about source of <br />