AWA is suppressing public information

AWA has willfully withheld information that it is legally required to share with the public. The California Public Records Act (CPRA) describes in great detail what information public agencies must share and the process that the Agency must follow when the public requests records. However, it has become increasingly difficult to obtain public information because AWA employees are withholding information and even going so far as to alter documents.

In addition, instead of regularly scheduling board and committee meetings with adequate time to review meeting materials, the AWA canceled one third of all 2011 meetings, including over one quarter of its Board meetings, and nearly half of its committee meetings. Sometimes they are replaced with Special Board Meetings requiring only 24 hours’ notice. The end result is less opportunity for the ratepayers to participate in their Agency's operational decisions, and an increasing lack of transparency (despite the promise of “public transparency” in AWA’s mission statement).

Not only is AWA involved in poor accounting practices, but they are also working hard to keep the public from learning any more about those accounting practices. Even worse, AWA employees are wasting public funds to avoid their legal obligations to the public. The CPRA gives the public the right to AWA information, and the Agency is not conforming to the CPRA.