Schafer Returned To Sanitary District Board

NO SURPRISE
In a move that will likely surprise very few people who have been following the drama at the Costa Mesa Sanitary District for the past couple years, today the Board of Directors selected former director and former Costa Mesa Mayor Arlene Schafer to replace Jim Fitzpatrick for the remaining two years of his term.  You can read the Daily Pilot coverage of the meeting and results HERE.

INTERVIEW PROCESS
At a special meeting today the four members of the board interviewed the six finalists in their process to determine a successor to Fitzpatrick - Schafer, former Costa Mesa Mayor Linda Dixon, former Sanitary District Board member Dan Worthington, Planning Consultant Jeffrey Harlan, Executive Search Consultant Al Morelli and Assistant General Manager of the West Basin Municipal Water District in Carson, Shivaji Desmukh.

UNANIMOUS SELECTION
Following the interviews, where each Director asked a couple questions of each applicant, the directors began the process of nominating candidates.  Dixon was first nominated, but received no second.  Schafer was nominated by President Jim Ferryman and was seconded by Director Art Perry.  When directors Mike Scheafer and Bob Ooten cast their votes for her she was chosen unanimously to fill the job that she held before Fitzpatrick defeated her in the election two years ago.

LET THE SCREECHING BEGIN
This will certainly generate a lot of negative comments from those in the community who felt Fitzpatrick was ousted from the Sanitary District Board.  Unfortunately, Fitzpatrick created his own problem when he intentionally, and against solid legal advice, stubbornly held to incompatible positions simultaneously.  And, he compounded that offense by doing it twice.

ON PAPER SCHAFER WAS THE EASY CHOICE
If you just read resumes Schafer was clearly the most highly qualified. She has served in this role before - for years - is well-known and highly respected in the sanitation management community.  For that reason alone her choice should be no surprise.  She will have virtually no "start up time" - she knows the business and how the Sanitary District operates.

MISSED OPPORTUNITY
Some will say this is a missed opportunity to bring in a fresh perspective to the Board - a thought with which I agree.  However, that what happened with Fitzpatrick and that went very, very badly.  I don't know whether that played any part in the selection the Directors made this morning, but wouldn't be surprised if it did.

SWEARING-IN ON WEDNESDAY
Schafer will be sworn in to her new/old job at the regular meeting of the Sanitary District Board on Wednesday, February 27th.  Her term will expire in 2014.

Sanitary District Directors Thins The Herd

FROM NINETEEN TO SIX
At a special meeting at 11:00 a.m. this morning the four remaining directors of the Costa Mesa Sanitary District Board thinned the herd of nineteen applicants for the vacancy created by the resignation of disgruntled director Jim Fitzpatrick to six candidates.  Those six will be asked to present themselves for interviews at another special meeting on Friday, February 22, 2013 at 9:30 a.m. at District headquarters.  The meeting was attended by five visitors - candidates Mark Harris and Al Morelli, activist Jim Mosher, former Water District Director Trudy Ohlig-Hall and your humble correspondent.

FINDING A FAIR SOLUTION
Guided by President Jim Ferryman, the directors - Art Perry, Bob Ooten and Mike Scheafer - arrived at what they felt was a fair way to winnow down the candidates.  Each said they had spent the past weekend reading through the resumes and other application paperwork for all of the candidates and all were impressed with the quality of applicants.  They acknowledged knowing some of the candidates and not knowing others.

THE PROCESS
Their solution to "thinning the herd" was for each director to present a list of their five top candidates.  Those four lists would be compiled by General Manager Scott Carroll.  The candidates who appeared on the most lists - the "highest vote-getters" - would be invited for personal interviews by the board Friday.  The maximum number invited would be five (5).

INDIVIDUAL CHOICES
Here are the lists that were presented in no particular order:
Art Perry - Jeffrey Harlan, Dan Worthington, Arlene Schafer, Richard Kapko and Mark Harris
Bob Ooten - Shivaji Deshmukh, Linda Dixon, Mike Harmanos, Al Morelli and Arlene Schafer
Mike Scheafer - Tamara Allee, Shivaji Deshmukh, Jeffrey Harlan, Al Morelli and Arlene Schafer
Jim Ferryman - Dan Worthington, Shivaji Deshmukh, Linda Dixon, Al Morelli and Arlene Schafer

AND THE ENVELOPE, PLEASE
The tally completed showed the following results:
Arlene Schafer - 4
Shivaji Desmukh - 3
Al Morelli - 3
Linda Dixon - 2
Jeffrey Harlan - 2
Dan Worthington - 2
Mike Harmanos - 1
Richard Kapko - 1
Mark Harris - 1
Tamara Allee - 1

THE FINALISTS
The board decided to invite six (6) candidates back - Schafer, Desmukh, Morelli, Dixon, Harlan and Worthington - rather than arbitrarily attempt to select two of the three candidates who received 2 votes each.  The directors will compile a list of questions to be asked.  Each director will ask two questions of each candidate, for a total of eight (8) questions per candidate.  The order of interviewing will be decided by drawing numbers from a hat or similar device.  Candidates will be sequestered outside the conference room  during the interviewing - but may stay once their interview is completed - to prevent any unfair advantage for those interviewed late in the process.


NEW DIRECTOR TO BE SEATED ON THE 27TH
Once the interviews are completed on Friday the board will select one to fill the Fitzpatrick vacancy.  It will be subject to a background investigation.  It is anticipated that the person selected will be sworn-in and seated at the next regular meeting, on Wednesday, February 27, 2013 at 5:30 p.m.