HomeMy WebLinkAbout08.-1 (Handout) Written Public Comment_Mona Gupta Item 8. (Handout)
Mona Gupta
60 Sandy Lane,
Walnut Creek, CA 94597
April 20, 2023
Board of Directors
Central Contra Costa Sanitary District
5019 Imhoff Place
Martinez, CA 94553
Dear President Hockett and Board Members,
I am humbly honored to have received your unanimous support and appointment for the
Division 3 position on April 4th. Thank you. It was not until the meeting on April 6th that I heard
the allegations of ageism and racism in the appointment process. I cannot imagine what Ms.
Wedington experienced in that moment. I am grateful that she stood up for herself to educate all
of us. Our unconscious bias and colonial language must be recognized and unlearned.
I'd like to take this opportunity to remind the Board that you did not choose me for racist or
ageist reasons. I am an accomplished engineer with the passion, knowledge, and capacity to
push Central San forward. I have an engineering degree from UC Berkeley with high honors
and extensive work experience across a variety of companies. I understand how organizations
work, learn quickly, and facilitate effective and informed decision-making. I'm also an
environmentalist. I have demonstrated through my philanthropic work with CoCo San
Sustainable Farm that my words are not empty words. As an uncompensated volunteer, I was
attracted to the farm in part for its mission in sustainability and protecting the environment. This
is a mission that is aligned with the District's. My vision extends further, striving to build a better
future, one of abundance instead of scarcity. We need to educate the public, explore ways to
close the loop in our natural water cycle, and achieve net zero. We can and must lead.
I further believe the Board justifiably considered a candidate's potential conflict of interest in the
selection process. California Government Code Sec. 87100 requires public officials to refrain
from "us[ing] his [or her] official position to influence a governmental decision in which he For
shel knows or has reason to know he for shel has a financial interest."(emphasis added).
Ms. Wedington's employment by EBMUD is a type of financial interest which Government Code
Sec. 87100 and other rules relating to conflict of interest were designed to address. Ms.
Wedington mentioned during the April 6th meeting that it was inappropriate to question her
regarding her conflict of interest relating to EBMUD when Mr. Williams, who held a higher
position within EBMUD, was never questioned on his conflict of interest. However, Mr. Williams
was elected to his Board position and not subject to questioning by the Board on this issue
during his appointment. On October 6, 2022, the Board directed the General Manager to
execute a Memorandum of Understanding with EBMUD to explore various recycled water
projects. Therefore, there is a real possibility that the appointed member will vote on projects
relating to EBMUD. I have attached this record for your consideration. It also seems that the
Board has not yet adopted any conflict of interest rules by resolution pursuant to Ordinance
2.20.020. This makes it even more imperative that a Board member should not have any
financial interest in matters which he or she may be called upon to make a decision or that he or
she may influence by virtue of their official position.
Given the high emotions during this process, I would also like to remind the Board that I'm an
expert bridge-builder. I will engender a high-trust environment so we may each serve to the best
of our abilities, with our own experiences and perspectives. I look forward to learning from each
of you and expect you will learn from me as well.
I urge you to remember why you originally chose me for this position. My unique qualifications,
credentials, experience, and passion will further elevate this Board.
Sincerely,
Mona Gupta