Former Morgan Hill mayor and city councilmember John Varela was appointed to the board of directors of the Santa Clara Valley Water District Dec. 10.
Varela rose to the top of a crowded field of 21 candidates who applied for the District 1 seat. That seat was held by Dennis Kennedy, who resigned Nov. 4 due to health reasons. The six current board members narrowed down the field of applicants to five at a meeting earlier this week, then spent most of the day Dec. 10 interviewing those finalists.
In addition to his public service record as an elected official in Morgan Hill, Varela is an entrepreneur and co-founder of a number of nonprofit organizations in South County, and of several for-profit companies in the renewable energy industry. He is also the co-founder of South Valley Angels, an organization that helps people start small companies.
SCVWD Board Chair Gary Kremen said Varela’s familiarity and experience with South County factored into his decision to vote in favor of his appointment.
“Mr. Varela stood out, at least in my mind, because of his demonstrated record of civic engagement for Morgan Hill, Gilroy, San Martin and other areas within District 1,” Kremen said.
Varela, a 38-year resident of Morgan Hill, is also currently serving on the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce board of directors, and volunteers for numerous organizations and community efforts. He is a 30-year member of the Morgan Hill Kiwanis Club, and works with the Silicon Valley Chamber Coalition Regional Economic Development Initiative. He also represents South County as an advisor and board member to Joint Venture Silicon Valley.
“I’d like to say I have a sense of connecting and bringing people together collaboratively, and I believe that is the quality and the skills that the board of directors was looking for,” Varela said. “It’s going to be hard to fill Dennis Kennedy’s shoes. He has quite a legacy.”
Varela’s appointment was not an easy decision, as Kremen said the board was fortunate to select from a “great” field of candidates. The final balloting among the six directors sitting on the board Dec. 10 yielded four votes for Varela after the five applicants were interviewed in the public meeting. Two directors voted for Morgan Hill City Councilmember Rich Constantine.
Before these interviews, a total list of 21 residents applied for the District 1 seat by submitting letters of interest and answers to district questionnaires by Dec. 4. At a Dec. 8 meeting, board members used a “rating sheet” to narrow down the field to five, Kremen explained.
Also interviewed for the District 1 seat Dec. 10 were Santa Clara County employee and San Jose Mineta International Airport Commissioner Tom Cruz, Campbell Councilmember Jeffrey Cristina and second-generation farmer and Grass Farm owner Erin Gil.
Kennedy, also a longtime Morgan Hill resident and former mayor, resigned from the District 1 seat due to health concerns. He was appointed to the seat in 2013, after Don Gage resigned. Kennedy was then elected to the seat in November 2014.
The SCVWD provides wholesale drinking and agricultural water, and flood protection, to about 1.8 million residents in the county.
District 1 on the seven-member board of directors includes all of South County, areas of south San Jose and eastern areas of the county.
Varela will serve on the SCVWD board at least until November 2016, when the water district will hold an election to fill the seat for the remainder of Kennedy’s original term. That term would have expired in November 2018. Varela said he currently plans to run to retain the seat in 2016.
The most important issue facing the water district and South County, for at least the next year, will be the availability of water, Varela said. “In our region, it’s about storage,” he said, noting that Anderson Dam has limited capacity due to state seismic restrictions.
He added he would like to see improvements in the district’s recycled water programs, especially in Morgan Hill where “we’re using potable water for everything.” The cost to deliver recycled water from the area facilities that produce it—such as the Gilroy wastewater treatment plant—are not currently affordable, but Varela would like to see the district explore additional funding for that purpose. Recycled water can be used for landscape and crop irrigation.
Varela also noted the importance of South County agriculture and his willingness to work with those water users.
“That is a major economic value to South County and all of Santa Clara County, to make sure the water supply is available to the agricultural community and all ratepayers,” Varela said. “I want to work with the farmers, the growers. So much of that is part of our history and what Morgan Hill, San Martin and Gilroy are all about.”
