ElDorado Water reorganizes board

The El Dorado County Water Agency next week may start the process to reorganize its decision-making board - and put water experts in some of the seats.

The water agency is comprised of the five El Dorado County supervisors, but officials are trying to find a way to put members from a few of the county's water providers on the board.

"We believe it would be more effective: one, because we're more familiar with the issues and, two, because the supervisors have many, many issues they have to deal with," said Bob Baer, general manager of the South Tahoe Public Utility District. "This focused group we think would do a more effective job."

The water board is scheduled to talk about the issue at a meeting Monday in Placerville. The change will need the approval of the California Legislature, and the earliest it could go into effect would be January 2001.

The exact makeup of the agency hasn't been determined. However, STPUD and the El Dorado Irrigation District likely will hold two permanent seats on the board. Other members of the El Dorado County Water Purveyors Association may rotate for another seat, and some of the county supervisors would fill the rest. All of the members would be elected officials.

"We'll be discussing the modification," said Dave Solaro, District 5 supervisor for El Dorado County. "I think it will give the water purveyors a little more say - give Lake Tahoe a little more say in the agency."