New Oakdale irrigation board members take seats

Saying they’ll put campaign acrimony behind them, Linda Santos and Gail Altieri took the oath of office Monday and became members of the Oakdale Irrigation District board.

“I want to ignore all the garbage” of tough races, Santos said before the event. “We’re going to start fresh.”

Altieri agreed, saying, “I’ll do my best to work with anyone. I’m not coming in with negativity.”

Incumbents Al Bairos and Frank Clark, respectively ousted by Santos and Altieri after nine and 14 years on the board – both by more than 20 percentage points – did not attend. Neither did other OID officials except for board member Herman Doornenbal, accompanied by his wife; board chairman Steve Webb sent word of a scheduling conflict, Santos said.

“I love OID. It’s a great organization with two new board members voted in by the people, and it’s the right thing to do to welcome them and work with them,” Doornenbal said. “I’m not going to be the one to make (the organization) dysfunctional.”

Stanislaus Superior Court Judge Linda McFadden presided at the swearing-in, held at a Knights Ferry restaurant.

Last week, Doornenbal helped table some decisions on an agenda crammed with items at Bairos’ and Clark’s last meeting. After opening with the Pledge of Allegiance, Bairos congratulated the women and left, leaving only Doornenbal, Clark and Webb to conduct business; Gary Osmundson was absent.

The three men approved a fixed water charge of $27.81 per acre in 2016, but postponed voting on per-acre-foot volumetric fees based on amounts used “so that the two new board members would be part of the discussion,” Doornenbal said.

Santos and Altieri, the first women on OID’s board in its 105-year history, had campaigned on platforms of transparency and ending “good ol’ boy” leadership. Although not running as an official slate, both criticized a recent water sale to wealthy outsiders with no public discussion or vote in Oakdale, as well as OID’s conscious failure to resize voting districts after the 2010 census, in violation of state law.

Santos prevailed over Bairos with 60 percent of the vote in Division 4, while Altieri took 62 percent in Division 1, easily beating Clark.

The incumbents had far more campaign money. Clark received $19,300, including $5,275 from grower John Brichetto reported six days after the election, compared with $5,387 raised by Altieri as of Oct. 22. Santos indicated early on that she would not spend more than $1,000; Bairos initially did the same, but five days before the Nov. 3 election, he submitted revised paperwork showing he had given three loans to his campaign totaling $4,700, including two in September.

Santos and Altieri said they met with district General Manager Steve Knell earlier Monday in a briefing session that Santos called “cordial.” Although Knell is OID’s designated spokesman, he has not responded to Modesto Bee telephone and email inquiries since Nov. 16.

“I want to work together with him,” said Santos, a fixture in the audience at OID meetings much of this year. “I said when I come to board meetings, I’m not just wanting to make noise and cause trouble. I’m passionate about this district. Our family has made a living from its resources for generations. We can’t afford to make mistakes.”

Altieri said, “We’re keeping it positive. Change is good.”

The next OID board meeting is scheduled at 9 a.m. Dec. 15 in the chamber at 1205 E. F St., Oakdale.

This story was originally published November 24, 2015 at 4:09 PM with the headline "New Oakdale irrigation board members take seats."