Waves In Mesa Water's Little Pond

REICHER'S WATCHDOG ARTICLE OPENS THE DOOR (NOTE)*

More than a few of you probably don't read the Orange County Register in print, which means you didn't see Mike Reicher's excellent piece above the fold in the Local section today, Sunday.  And, unless you've decided to pay for it via the Register's recently-announced Paywall, you can't read it online, either.  That's a shame.  However, if you DO have access to the Register online - like me - you can read Mike's article HERE.  John Canalis, editor of the competing Daily Pilot, described this article as "strong enterprise" in a Twitter feed.  So, since you probably can't read Mike's work, I'll give you a taste of it without (hopefully) violating their copyright. *Early Tuesday, 41613, Mesa Water President Jim Fisler sent me the following link to a blog entry by their former PR consultant, Laer Pearce, providing his view (spin?) on this issue.  Thanks to Fisler for this information: http://clutterinclarityout.com/mesa-waters-excellent-rebranding-program/

THE HOOK

Mike's opening paragraph will give you a little bit of the flavor: "Native American musicians blessed the 'ancestral waters,' valets parked cars for the 150 'VIP' guests and $50,000 event planners passed out catered custom cookies shaped like water drops and redwood trees - $1,500 worth of cookies"

REELING YOU IN
He goes on from there to describe "Mesa Water District's lavish spending on marketing and communications.", including "undergoing a $500.000 branding campaign, including a name change and redesigned logo."  By now you've probably got the feel for the article.


MILLION DOLLAR PLUS PR BUDGET

He tells us that, while raising rates, Mesa (the new name) has increased its communications spending by 300% in four years - a $1.25 million annual budget that "dwarfs those at similar water districts."

PEARCE
Apparently Mesa paid PR consultant Laer Pearce nearly $270,000 in total consulting fees since beginning talks in 2008, including $85,000 specifically for branding.  They stopped using Pearce in December and plan to issue a new request for proposals for public relations consulting support.


WHY SPEND SO MUCH?

By all measures Mesa is a financially strong organization, but we wonder why they feel it's necessary to spend so much on public relations - to let people know who they are.  Reicher says, "A customer survey in 2012 found less than one-third of surveyed ratepayers could identify the district by name."  He quotes Mesa's Communications Manager Stacey Taylor as saying, "There's a big void.  It showed a lack of connection with the community."

GRAND JURY OPINION

Reicher tells us that "in 2009 the Board of Directors voted to increase rates by 25% between fiscal years 2010 and 2014".  He quotes district officials as stating the money to be received by the increased rates "is needed to maintain its AAA credit rating".  However, Mesa has "about $23 million in reserves and the Orange County Grand Jury issued a report last year recommending districts use excessive reserves to pay down debt."

STAFF COMPENSATION

To further illustrate the financial condition of Mesa Water, Reicher provided a little chart showing the top ten most highly compensated members of the Mesa staff - - each earn over $150,000 including benefits - starting with General Manager Paul Schoenberger at over $315,000  and includes Taylor at the number 3 spot, with more than $194,000 in total compensation.  You can find out more information about Mesa Water at their website, HERE, and specific information about the compensation program HERE.

NO GRUMBLING ALLOWED!

Reicher's last paragraph leaves his readers with an interesting quote from Communication Manager Taylor.  He quotes her as saying, "Yes, we're a monopoly public utility, and customers don't have a choice," Taylor said, "but does that mean we want people grumbling about their government?"  That should make us all think just a little about how Mesa is spending OUR money.

FIND IT AND READ IT

I hope these snippets will cause you to jump off your couch, abandon watching the final round of the Master's Gold Tournament, and go buy a copy of the Sunday Register at your local convenience store.

DEBBIE COOK COMMENT
Reicher's article is only the most recent of many critical publications about Mesa Water District.  In February former Huntington Beach Mayor Debbie Cook published a scathing commentary on the SurfCityVoice blog titled Mesa Water Drops Fiduciary Duties as Ratepayers Pick Up The Tab, HERE.

SURF CITY VOICE ALL OVER IT
SurfCityVoice Blog publisher John Earl has long been a watchdog on water issues in our region, focusing on the planned Poseidon desalination project in Huntington Beach.  Last month he published two very critical essays on his blog concerning Mesa Water, HERE and HERE.

LITVAK'S QUESTION

Late last month Costa Mesa resident Jay Litvak published a commentary in the Daily Pilot that asked, "What is Mesa Water Up To?", HERE.  And resident Howard Hull - one of the cadre of true believers who hover around the power elite in Costa Mesa - published a snarky rejoinder to Litvak in the Daily Pilot last week, HERE.

REAL TRANSPARENCY IS GOOD
Personally, I think a little light on Mesa Water and the other small, special districts, is a good thing.  I'm not so sure that Mesa anticipated the kind of attention they're getting when they decided to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a PR campaign so folks would know who is delivering their water.  It might be one of those "be careful what you ask for" situations.  We'll see...