Monterey County water chief may be on his way out
Official: Supervisors, Curtis Weeks seek to 'sever relationship'
Andy Stiny
The Californian
09/08/2011
Monterey County Water Resources General Manager Curtis Weeks is out of the country — and he may soon be out of a job.
County counsel Charles McKee has recommended that the county supervisors, sitting as the water resources agency, change the terms of Weeks' employment agreement, which could have Weeks leaving at the end of 90 days or sooner.
"The agency and the GM desire to sever their existing relationship amicably," states the amended agreement. The agreement is on Tuesday's agenda for the regular supervisors meeting.
The board, as the water agency, would have to approve the agreement.
Supervisors Jane Parker and Louis Calcagno have publicly called for Weeks to resign or be dismissed after revelations that Weeks and former water agency board member Steve Collins had formed a private corporation to perform consulting work on a proposed regional desalination project on the Monterey Peninsula — and therefore appeared to have a conflict of interest.
Weeks' job performance was the subject of a closed-session special meeting of the water board Wednesday.
Nobody was saying much on Thursday afternoon because the amendment to the employment agreement states both parties "agree not to engage in external discussions regarding issues arising out of employment or the execution of the amendment."
Third district Supervisor Simon Salinas is listed in the amendment as the one who would address questions coming out of Weeks' employment with the agency. When asked Thursday if he could comment on the situation, Salinas said, "not really."
"He [Weeks] probably figured it's time to do something," said Salinas.
If the agreement is approved, then Salinas would be the one to provide job references for Weeks, Salinas said.
Through the county public information officer, county counsel McKee declined to comment. Weeks, in an email, said he is out of the country and would not respond to emails until Tuesday.
Under the amended agreement, Weeks would receive severance pay equal to six months base pay and his terms of employment would be modified starting Tuesday to "coincide with the mediation of disputes between the WPA [water purchase agreement] parties," said the amendment. Those talks are expected to last from 60 to 90 days and Weeks' continued employment would not go beyond 90 days unless both parties agree, according to the agreement.
The water purchase agreement dispute involves the water resources agency, the Marina Coast Water District and California American Water. The agreement, signed in April 2010, was declared void by Cal Am after the conflict of interest allegations surfaced, according to the website for the International Desalination & Water Reuse Quarterly.
