1. Central Basin Municipal Water District
Governance in
Turbulent Times
Kevin P. Hunt, PE
General Manager
Central Basin Municipal Water District

2. Kevin P. Hunt, PE
General Manager, Central Basin Municipal Water District
Partner, Hunt Thornton Resource Strategies
B.S. Civil Engineering, Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn
Graduate Student, Business, Pepperdine University
Member and Founder, Urban Water Institute
50 Year Career
Federal - U.S. Marine Corps
State - Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Local - Central Basin Municipal Water District / Municipal Water District of Orange County
Private
Specialties
Psomas
Bookman-Edmonston
Water Resource Planning
Boyle Engineering
Others
Water Utility Management
CDM
Resolving (or creating) Conflict

3. Thank you to Directors of
Central Basin Municipal Water District
Municipal Water District of Orange County
Metropolitan Water District
Director of other California Water Districts I have worked with.
For the copious, rich material for this talk.

4. DISCLAIMER
“The stories you are about to hear are true – only the names have been changed to protect the innocent.”

5. Navigating Conflict in Turbulent Times
What is a “Turbulent Time” in the water industry?
Is “Turbulence or Conflict necessarily bad”?
How to Navigate it?

6. One where chaos rules, interactions are acrimonious.
“Turbulent Times”
One where chaos rules, interactions are acrimonious.
The press becomes a part of the story and the conflict dominates everything else.

7. How you handle conflict is the issue
Conflict is not Bad
Turbulence is Bad
How you handle conflict is the issue
Keep it from turning into “Turbulent Times”

8. Benefits of Conflict Forces us to challenge assumptions and paradigms
Require a clear, logical exposition of issue or position
Requires us to look at issue or position differently
You usually learn something

9. How to Navigate Conflict
Tone down the rhetoric
“Its just business”
“Fight nice”
Identify common values/goals
SNOOPY, SOMETIMES YOU’RE A TOUGH PUPPY TO LOVE

10. How to Navigate Conflict
Develop alternative visions of success
Don’t live in the past / fight old battles
Avoid fighting in the media
Be ethical and trustworthy
Use a facilitator or mediator
Minimize future “Turbulence”

11. Role of General Manager
Be Leader / Role Model
Be a problem solver – Not the problem
Ensure an ethical process
Manage the process – always moving forward toward resolution
Implement District values and regulations, and know limitations
Board Closed Session leaks?
Director living in District?
Does the public benefit?

12. Q&A

13. Central Basin Municipal Water District 6252 Telegraph Road Commerce, CA 90040 323-201-5500
Thank you for you time, I can take any questions.