Critic of LVMWD gets a strong rebuttal

Critic of LVMWD gets a strong rebuttal

In answer to James Wrigley’s letter to The Acorn, issue of Aug. 9, it must be said first that it was highly improper for him to have reported the matters discussed in a closed board-attorney session, matters protected by the attorney-client privilege.

Violation of the attorney-client privilege is a very serious act which has been punished with heavy fines and imprisonment.

Mr. Wrigley will not disclose the source of his information. However, no more than 10 directors and staff members were permitted to attend this closed attorney-client meeting, and it is likely Mr. Wrigley’s informant will be known eventually.

As this kind of behavior is clearly adverse to the best interests of the water district, I, as president of the board of directors, will place on the agenda of an open public meeting at an early date a motion stating, "Any employee if the LVMWD who is determined to have reported any information protected by the attorney-client privilege will be subject to immediate dismissal."

Mr. Wrigley’s accusations put me in an unfair position because I cannot divulge attorney-client communication to answer his charges. Suffice it to say, if I gave the context of the items alleged, it would put a totally different cast on the situation.

Mr. Wrigley states I recommended the Triunfo Sanitation District be forgiven $1.2 million for its share of the cost of the Micor property. This may be based on my suggestion to Mr. Colbaugh during the recess of a board meeting that it we forgave the payment it might pave the way to settling difficulties with Triunfo.

I didn’t take the matter up officially, and no board action was ever made to that effect. The Micor property and related problems had been a source of continuing expense in lawyer, facilitator and staff time amounting to many thousands of dollars. My hope was to find some way of stopping this steady drain of district funds.

However, no payment of any of the costs to which Mr. Wrigley refers were ever made.

I conclude with a commitment to do all I can to resolve the difficulties with Triunfo Sanitation District, to repair the jeopardy to the attorney-client privilege at LVMWD and to maintain the high-quality water and sewage service at the water district.

Vernon M. Padgett, MD,

President, Board of Directors

LVMWD

This will end any cycle of letters between James D. Wrigley of Calabasas and Padgett.