Now, $10,000 is barely pocket change for even the smallest local governments. But it could, say, pay for a modest wedding at a park overlooking the beach, or for a halfway decent used car, or for a year’s worth of property taxes for a lot of folks.

On Wednesday, Feb. 19, though, the Orange County Water District is slated to vote on whether to spend up to $10,000 on a “First Responder Appreciation Luncheon to express our gratitude and strengthen relationships.”

Why can’t someone just drop a cake off at the fire station, you’re wondering.

“First responders are crucial to emergency management and daily safety at OCWD, guiding staff evacuations, managing hazardous materials, and quickly addressing emergencies and suspicious activities,” says the agenda report, describing, well, a first responder’s job.

“OCWD’s water quality department collects groundwater samples from 1,500 sites, including high-crime areas, underscoring the need for solid partnerships with local law enforcement to protect our staff.”

Map of OCWD’s wells, some of which are apparently in high-crime neighborhoods

Wow. We’ve never really thought about armed escorts at the water well! OCWD’s job is to manage the groundwater basin and pump the stuff to cities and other water districts, so it’s not generally responding directly to fires and such like other water districts might.

“Scheduled between July and December 2025, the event will facilitate interaction among first responders and District staff, fostering mutual understanding and cooperation,” the report to the board says. “The luncheon will feature a flexible ‘drop-in’ schedule to accommodate the varied availabilities of first responders from Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach, Costa Mesa, Orange County Intelligence Assessment Center, and WEROC.”

Hold on. What?! We’ve been reporting on Orange County governments since the earth’s crust hardened and have never heard of WEROC or an Intelligence Assessment Center!

WEROC, it turns out, is the Water Emergency Response Organization of Orange County, administered by the Municipal Water District of Orange County (MWDOC), “which supports and manages countywide emergency preparedness, planning, response, and recovery efforts among Orange County water and wastewater utilities.”

The OCIAC, meanwhile, is a “fusion center” that was formed in 2007 “to meet the need for information sharing among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and other public safety disciplines.”

OK, so maybe we’re talking several cakes here. The OCWD board is slated to vote on allocating $10,000 for food and rental expenses for a fete for 250 to 350 people, and various OCWD departments support the idea, “citing its effectiveness in building community relations — a sentiment echoed by successful outcomes from a similar event at Moulton Niguel Water District,” the staff report says.

Moulton Niguel has been doing these luncheons for 10 years, said Joone Kim-Lopez, Moulton Niguel’s general manager. It often works directly with first responders during emergencies — the Coastal fire in Laguna Niguel in 2022 is one recent example — and Kim-Lopez views it as a chance for the water people to sit down with the emergency people over plates of barbecue to learn a bit about one another. That makes working together under stressful emergency conditions more effective and efficient, she said.

Moulton Niguel spent $8,011.39 on the appreciation luncheon last year. “We have firefighters, deputies, volunteers, EMTs — we have a really good turnout,” Kim-Lopez said. “It’s something that has grown in popularity. Councilmembers come out as well to thank first responders. It’s our way of showing our appreciation.”

An item from MNWD’s October 2024 newsletter

Cynics might suggest it’s also a good way for water board members mulling runs for higher office to rub elbows with influential folks in the public safety unions. But we’re not cynical here!

So we asked the powers-that-be at OCWD to tell us more about all this. General Manager John Kennedy said board member Cathy Green was impressed by Moulton Niguel’s efforts and thought it would be nice to do at OCWD as well.

Kennedy sees it as an opportunity to get OCWD’s staffers together and show appreciation as well. It’s true that OCWD doesn’t work with first responders quite the way a city water district (or Moulton Niguel) would, but it’s had chemical exposures that sent a worker to the hospital, and security incidents where intruders came onto campus, and a minor fire, and even some heated board meetings where first responders stood by in case things got out of hand.

We asked if OCWD often needs armed escorts as it monitors wells in high-crime neighborhoods — and where these neighborhoods are. Kennedy said that, in some poorer neighborhoods, homeless people camp near the wells, and it can be a bit scary for OCWD workers, so it has occasionally requested assistance.

OCWD is also “exploring the possibility of offering a designated work/rest space on the OCWD campus for patrol officers.” Is office space tough for public safety types to come by? Spokesperson Gina Ayala said it would just involve sharing space — and the kitchen — it already has with first responders out in the field. A place for them to rest, park their vehicles, write reports. And the $10,000 estimate is just that, she said — the district wouldn’t necessarily spend that much.

Most board members weren’t keen on chatting, but it appears there will be at least one “no” vote.

“Wasteful spending, such as this $10,000 luncheon that has zero impact on our local water supply, evokes anger and skepticism towards government, especially since there are more affordable ways for OCWD to express gratitude to our first responders,” said Stephen Sheldon.

We’ll let you know what the OCWD board decides. If you want to weigh in, send comments to the board online at www.ocwd.com/contact-us or call 714-378-3200.

Related Articles