Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD) will appoint someone to fill the board vacancy created when Director G. Patrick O’Dowd resigned Nov. 3 to take a post as Executive Director of the Salton Sea Authority.
O’Dowd, a six-year member of the board, represented Division 1, the furthest west area of CVWD’s service area. The board on Tuesday discussed an option to hold a special election to fill the seat but agreed to an appointment as the more cost-effective option.
The board authorized the district to publicize the vacancy at least 15 days before the board makes the appointment no later than Jan. 4, 2021.
A person appointed to fill the seat must be a resident of, and otherwise qualified to be a director from, Division 1. The boundaries for Division 1 are shown at CVWD's district boundary map
Anyone interested in being appointed is required to submit a letter of interest and/or a resume setting forth a brief summary of the person’s interest, qualifications, and background and information regarding residence in order to verify that the candidate resides in Division 1. Letters of interest and/or resumes must be delivered or mailed to CVWD so that they are received no later than 4 p.m. on Nov. 25, 2020.
Letters of interest and/or resumes can be mailed to P.O. Box 1058, Coachella, CA 92236. They also can be delivered to the Steve Robbins Administration Building, 75515 Hovley Lane East, Palm Desert, CA 92211. Prior to delivering in person, please contact Sylvia Bermudez, Clerk of the Board, at 760-398-2651 ext. 2217 or sbermudez@cvwd.org to arrange a delivery time as district offices are currently closed to the public. Please also contact her for additional information if needed.
CVWD will contact applicants to confirm receipt of interest and may follow up regarding the time, date and location of the open and public Board meeting(s) during which interviews will be conducted and during which the Board will potentially make a decision regarding an appointment. The Board may elect to schedule additional meetings if necessary.
Coachella Valley Water District is a public agency governed by a five-member board of treatment and reclamation services, regional storm water protection, groundwater management and water conservation. It serves approximately 108,000 residential and business customers across 1,000 square miles, located primarily in Riverside County, but also in portions of Imperial and San Diego counties.
