Marin water directors should face term limits

Most Marin Municipal Water District customers agree: We face an ongoing water supply reliability crisis.

I agree with Monty Schmitt, one of the MMWD directors, who wrote in a recent Marin Voice commentary (“Water district board member lays out plan to build 3-year supply,” Jan. 17). It is a reasonable goal to have a reliable three-year supply. However, establishing another committee to study alternatives seems redundant. A study was done in 2015.

Additionally, an extensive 250-page report was completed in March of 2017. It contained 40 resiliency options, including reuse, expansion of current facilities, storage expansion, water purchases and groundwater, desalination and other emerging options. Descriptions of each option were included, as well as details about what facilities were needed, cost, yield, reliability and implementation considerations.

The summary recommended a combination of several alternatives to better address resiliency. However, none of the options were exercised. It is very clear that the long-serving board members have completely failed the agency’s mission.

The MMWD board should pass a resolution to establish term limits in line with our state legislators. Directors should serve a maximum of three four-year terms. Any board member that has already served longer than that should not be able to stand for reelection.

Jack Gibson (serving 28 years), Larry Russell and Cynthia Koehler (16 years each) would be impacted. Director Larry Bragman is also up for reelection this year. From my perspective, Bragman has consistently supported conservation as the only viable option for our water supply. He needs to be replaced.

Marin County deserves new, qualified candidates to implement some of the obvious alternatives laid out in the 2017 study, including reservoir capacity expansion. Most in Marin believe and practice conservation, but our long term resiliency plan cannot be to only rely on Mother Nature.

— Carsten Andersen,

San Rafael