Recently, the Los Angeles City Council voted for three supposed Department of Water & Power reforms:
- Creating an Office of Public Accountability with a ratepayer advocate;
- Requiring DWP’s budget to be submitted earlier, with a guarantee that “surplus” funds will come to the city of L.A. for general fund uses;
- Granting the City Council the authority to remove the DWP’s General Manager or DWP Commissioners with a two-thirds council vote. The council could also override the mayor’s removal of the GM or commissioners with a two-thirds vote.
If the council approves the measures Dec. 7, they will appear on the March 8 ballot. But here’s the deal: These reforms are hardly bold and they don’t begin to solve the numerous inherent problems at DWP. In fact, the ballot measures are a cynical and opportunistic attempt to take advantage of near-universal public distrust of DWP.
The original job description for the new ratepayer advocate position promised real reform. It declared “the role of the OPA shall be to (1) promote efficiency and effectiveness of the department; (2) provide a centralized focus on ratepayer protection and consumer complaints; and (3) provide independent analysis of department actions, particularly as they relate to water and electricity rate actions. The OPA shall advocate against excessive rates and shall provide expert advice on rate actions and strategies which most economically accomplish the City’s policy goals and protect the department’s long-term interests.” But the role has been significantly watered down to the point of ambiguity.
From an environmental perspective, the measures almost completely miss the mark. Of course greater accountability is needed at DWP, but giving the City Council the authority to fire the GM and the commissioners is not a solution.
Filed under: Environmental Governance, Heal the Bay, L.A. DWP | Tagged: clean energy, DWP, Los Angeles City Council | 3 Comments »