She took you to court, MID, and won $320,000. Now you want to hire her? | Opinion

Among several problems with the Modesto Irrigation District Board’s proposal to rehire its former attorney, the biggest is that no one knows what the board is really up to.

A terse agenda item posted Friday says the board will consider retaining Lucas Law “to provide legal services as may be directed by the board.” That’s all, folks.

Not one word in supporting documents, as one would expect. No analysis. No information on recruitment. No comparison with other firms that might want the job. No explanation for what the board thinks they’ll get from Lucas Law that they’re not getting from current counsel.

No recommendation by doubtlessly blindsided MID staff. No accompanying resolution, except for an attached template with the words “Whereas” and “Be it resolved” and nothing else. Fill in the blanks later, after a formal vote, when you can write whatever you want.

This is a railroad job with tracks leading somewhere secret, a location the board for some reason is hiding.

The board majority, to be more precise. Board member Janice Keating, elected in November, was mystified to see the item on the Jan. 24 board agenda, knowing she would be expected to cast a vote without knowing anything about it. She immediately fired off a column for this opinion page, posted and printed Sunday, calling foul.

In her column, Keating said nothing about the lawyer, Ronda Lucas, that the board majority wants to hire for unspecified purposes.

Lucas was let go four years ago in an era of MID board upheaval marked by an unprecedented power struggle between urban and rural representation. For the first time in its history, the balance of power shifted away from farming interests in favor of city customers.

Lucas and two others sued the district, alleging sexual discrimination and gender-based harassment, and they eventually agreed to a combined $595,000 in settlements, with Lucas getting $320,000.

After recent voting in November, farmers regained board control with the elections of growers Bob Frobose and John Boer joining Larry Byrd and Nick Blom, who quickly became board chairman and vice chairman, respectively. Keating, with a city-based background and constituency, stands very much alone.

Come clean, Modesto Irrigation board

It’s fair to ask why someone who cost ratepayers $320,000 would be allowed anywhere near the agency she took to court, much less hired to represent its legal interests. The appearance of contradiction demands full explanation.

None is offered in the agenda packet.

Calls to Byrd went unanswered.

It’s anyone’s guess how the item even ended up on the agenda. The only clue are these seven words in a brief description: “Per input from members of the board.”

Those board members must provide a full and complete explanation to the public, who deserve to know how and why their money will be spent, before a vote is taken Tuesday.

These words appeared in a post-election analysis on this opinions page the morning after the November election: “(Keating’s) one vote won’t mean much against the other four. With Byrd pulling the strings again, expect significant changes in the district office.”

It’s already started.