At an April 20 public meeting, Brian Lee, general manager of the San Lorenzo Valley Water District, called Bruce Holloway, successful plaintiff in the Terry Vierra conflict-of-interest lawsuit, “nothing more than a thief.”
Later in the meeting, he apologized for the comment, which he called “wrong-headed,” but did not retract it.
Nearly two months later, when confronted by ratepayers with this and other examples of similar outbursts, Lee doubled down on the accusation against Holloway, defending his April statements.
“With regards to calling Mr. Holloway a liar and a thief, nobody questions whether I was truthful or not,” he told the district board of directors on June 15.
“The fact that I said it is so reprehensible to certain individuals is interesting. But they never try and defend what was said or what was not said.”
“Trying to take something from somebody that doesn’t belong to you – I’ll let you decide on that one.”
A few minutes later, three water district directors downplayed these criticisms, praised Lee’s judgment and “energy,” and voted to give him a 3 percent raise, about $5,500, boosting his annual salary to nearly $190,000. In March he was given a 3.05 percent “cost-of-living” raise.
Lee was hired in January 2015 at a $165,000 annual salary.
At the June 15 meeting, Lee thanked his staff, and praised each of his senior managers by name.
Water district board President Gene Ratcliff and Director Margaret Bruce praised Lee for multiple accomplishments in 2016.
They repeatedly said that the raise under consideration should be based only on his 2016 performance, and not on anything that has occurred in 2017.
Bruce said the district, under Lee’s leadership, had achieved “lots and lots and lots of progress in a target-rich environment.”
Director Chuck Baughmann praised Lee for his energy and for fostering good staff morale.
The board’s decision – with Bill Smallman voting against, and Ratcliffe, Bruce and Baughmann voting in favor of Lee’s raise – came after several members of the public complained about Lee’s rough approach and angry outbursts at meetings and at some members of the public. Two speakers praised Lee.
“These are serious allegations and we want to take them seriously,” said Ratcliffe.
Bruce said after the vote that the district’s directors and its staff, including Lee, would benefit from human relations and anger-management training.
Lee had received a “Satisfactory to Good” rating at a closed-door annual employee evaluation on March 22, it was announced following that closed-door session.
The board decision, which followed several rounds of closed-door discussions, enabled Lee, who was hired in January 2015, to be eligible for the same 3.05 percent Cost of Living Adjustment raise as the rest of the management team, retroactive to Jan. 1, 2017, said Holly Morrison, administrative assistant and board secretary.
The board’s discussion of his pay raise, and the vote to give him that raise, occurred in the private session. Experts in the Ralph Brown Act say that votes to give pay increases to public employees must occur in full view of the public and must also occur at a regular board meeting – not a special meeting.
The vote for Lee’s “Cost of Living” raise occurred in private at a special meeting.
“Any final vote on raises for public employees must be in open session, and as of Jan. 1 of this year, must be preceded by orally reporting ‘a summary of a recommendation for a final action on the salaries, salary schedules, or compensation paid in the form of fringe benefits of a local agency executive, during the open meeting in which the final action is to be taken.’ “ said Terry Francke, a recognized expert in the Ralph Brown Act and other public records and government transparency issues.
Lee is the one the highest-paid public employees in the mountain communities of Scotts Valley and the communities of the Santa Lorenzo Valley.
He was hired $13,750 per month, month,or $165,000 per year.
In January 2016, Lee’s salary was increased 7.75 percent, to $14,816/month, or $177,792 per year.
The cost-of-living raise in March aboosted his monthly salary to $15,268, for an annual salary of $183,215.
