Mesa Water District
Special district overview
FormedJanuary 1, 1960 (1960-01-01)
Headquarters1965 Placentia Avenue Costa Mesa, CA
Special district executives
  • Shawn Dewane, President
  • Marice Depasquale, Vice President
  • Jim Atkinson, Director
  • Fred Bockmiller, Director
  • James Fisler, Director
  • Paul Shoenberger, General Manager
Websitehttps://www.mesawater.org/

The Mesa Water District is a special district that manages water distribution to most of Costa Mesa, a portion of Newport Beach, and John Wayne Airport.[1]

History

The city of Costa Mesa, having been incorporated in 1953, provided municipal services such as a water supply to its residents. In 1957, the city held a special bond election for the construction of water-related infrastructure, which failed.[2] During this period, various other water districts had been in operation in the Costa Mesa area, including the Newport Heights Irrigation District (formed 1918), the Fairview County Water District (formed 1946), and the Newport Mesa County Water District (formed 1954), which had previously replaced the Newport Mesa Irrigation District.[3] With the multiple districts and the city having overlapping boundaries, Governor Edmund Brown, Sr. signed the Costa Mesa District Merger Law in 1959, which combined the districts and city services into one.[3][4] Officially designated as the Costa Mesa County Water District, the district began operations on January 1, 1960.[5]

In 1978, legislation was adopted to change the name to the Mesa Consolidated Water District.[4][6] In January 2013, following a $500,000 rebranding effort, the district again changed their name to the Mesa Water District.[7]

Mesa Water District began exploring the possibility of a merger with the Costa Mesa Sanitary District in 2016.[8] Mesa Water was in support of the merger, with the Sanitary District opposed to it.[9] The question of a merger was put before the voters in an advisory measure, 2016's Measure TT. The measure passed, but as an advisory measure had no legal effect, and the Costa Mesa Sanitary District remained opposed and sued the Mesa Water District.[10] In 2018, the lawsuit was finally settled.[11]

Mesa Water has faced controversies following rate increases in 2010, 2017, and 2022.[12][13][14]

Governance

Mesa Water District is governed by a five-member Board of Directors, each elected to a four-year term.[15] Each director is elected by geographic division and has been since the districts formation in 1960.[3] The current members of the Board are:

Position Board Member Division Entered office Term ends
President Shawn Dewane 5 2005 2026
Vice President Marice DePasquale 3 2017 2024
Director Jim Atkinson 4 1998 2026
Director Fred Bockmiller 1 1996 2024
Director James Fisler 2 2009 2024

References

  1. ↑ "ABOUT MESA WATER". Retrieved January 2, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Resolution 411 - Water Bond Election - Declaring Returns". October 1, 1957. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 "Costa Mesa District Merger Law". Retrieved January 2, 2024.
  4. 1 2 Zint, Bradley (January 15, 2013). "Mesa Water name consolidated". Daily Pilot. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
  5. ↑ "Our History". Retrieved January 2, 2024.
  6. ↑ "California Water Code § 33207". Retrieved January 2, 2024.
  7. ↑ Reicher, Mike (April 13, 2013). "Mesa Water's $500,000 rebranding". The Orange County Register. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
  8. ↑ Money, Luke (June 10, 2016). "Could Costa Mesa's water and sanitary districts become one?". Daily Pilot. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
  9. ↑ Casiano, Louis (July 29, 2016). "Mesa Water approves placing ballot consolidation measure; sanitary district opposes". The Orange County Register. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
  10. ↑ Money, Luke (December 21, 2016). "Despite voters' OK, Costa Mesa sanitary district 'not interested' in merger talks with Mesa Water". Daily Pilot. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
  11. ↑ Money, Luke (July 24, 2018). "Sanitary and water districts reach settlement in legal fight, ending talk of merger". Daily Pilot. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
  12. ↑ Zint, Bradley (April 27, 2013). "Mesa Water District responds to report, critics". Daily Pilot. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
  13. ↑ Santana Jr., Norberto (November 29, 2017). "Santana: Something Smells at The Mesa Water District". Voice of OC. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
  14. ↑ Cardine, Sara (January 13, 2022). "Mesa Water rate hikes, capital charge approved by directors". Daily Pilot. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
  15. ↑ "BOARD OF DIRECTORS". Retrieved January 2, 2024.
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