Grand jury calls for elected water board
Triunfo oversees water and sanitation services for parts of Thousand Oaks, North Ranch, Lake Sherwood, Oak Park and Bell Canyon and is directed by a five-member board- but only two are elected
By Sophia Fischer sfischer@theacorn.com

The Triunfo Sanitation District board of directors should be an all-elected body and should have an independent general manager, according to a recent report issued by the Ventura County grand jury.

Triunfo, which oversees water and sanitation services for parts of Thousand Oaks, North Ranch, Lake Sherwood, Oak Park and Bell Canyon, is run by a fivemember board, but only two of the members are elected. The district has no staff, and contracts with Ventura Regional Sanitation District for financial and legal services, creating a possible conflict of interest.

The grand jury report recommended that Triunfo retain a law firm and auditor other than Ventura Regional to confirm the accuracy of past interest earnings paid by Ventura Regional to Triunfo. An investment oversight by Ventura Regional last year resulted in an estimated loss of $100,000 in interest income for Triunfo, an amount that was later reimbursed.

A complaint filed with the grand jury prompted the investigation. Under jury terms, the identity of the complainant is kept confidential.

"We need to get the representation we deserve so that we can get some integrity, common sense from the board and some oversight," said Triunfo board member Janna Orkney, who along with fellow board member Linda Parks, has pushed for an allelected board. Board members Tom Glancy, a Thousand Oaks city councilmember, Ron Stark, and James Acosta, a Ventura Regional boardmember from Saticoy, haven't supported the change. Only Orkney and Stark are elected.

"I strongly believe in the people's right to vote," said Parks, who's also a Ventura County supervisor. "When you have someone in Saticoy making decisions on where to put a water tank in Oak Park it doesn't make sense."

Stark said he has no objection to an all-elected board but wants to make sure that each of Triunfo's communities has equal representation.

"Are we talking about an atlarge board or by district?" Stark said. "You have to look at what you really want and how it affects the people."

Having an independent general manager might not be costeffective, according to Stark.

"A general manager will cost $100,000 a year. Is he going to save enough money to warrant his salary?" Stark said. "You can't go helter skelter into all these things without studying them."

The report also suggested researching consolidating Triunfo with either Las Virgenes Municipal Water District or Ventura Regional. Orkney and Parks expressed interest in exploring a possible merger.

"VRSD marks things up 15 percent when they work with us. We are paying more for that unique government structure," Parks said. "If we were VRSD they wouldn't do that."

Although a merger would be cost-effective for Triunfo, neither the VRSD nor Las Virgenes have responded to the idea, according to Stark.

"I've been proposing this for five or six years but the other agencies haven't come back to say 'yeah, that's a good idea,'" Stark said. "It takes two to tango."

The board has 90 days to respond to the grand jury.

Board members will formulate group and individual answers to each of the jury's recommendations at a meeting at 5:15 p.m. July 16 at the Oak Park Library. Orkney has also requested that Triunfo's governance be on the agenda so that the board has another opportunity to vote on the issue.

The board is under no obligation to follow through on any of the grand jury recommendations.

"I will continue to hope," Orkney said.

For more information, call (805) 658-4605.