United Water official urges Fox Canyon board to support settlement and rely on decade‑old model

Fox Canyon Groundwater Management Agency Board of Directors members met in a special session Aug. 22, 2025, and recessed into a closed session after hearing public comment. Mauricio, who identified himself as general manager and referenced United Water, urged the board to support a proposed settlement agreement and to rely on United Water’s groundwater model.

Mauricio told the board that the model had been developed over about a decade, vetted by outside experts and made available for review. “United Water has been completely transparent. All the information’s been out there,” he said. He said the model is the best analytical tool available and warned that opposing the settlement would leave ratepayers to absorb more costs.

Why it matters: The settlement and any technical modeling affect ongoing litigation and could have financial implications for water ratepayers in the Fox Canyon service area. Mauricio framed the choice before the board as between accepting a model he described as scientifically vetted and rejecting it in favor of what he characterized as “special interest” analyses.

During roughly 20 minutes of public remarks, Mauricio summarized the record he said supports the model: he described over a million documents and model files that were provided to agencies and experts, and he said “three globally renowned modelers” reviewed and certified the model’s calibration. He repeatedly urged board members to consider their roles as agency officials, not as representatives of special interests: “You’re sitting at the board of the Fox community. That’s the hat,” he said, later invoking a sign attributed to a football coach — “do your job” — as a reminder to focus on the agency’s responsibilities.

Mauricio also argued that arguments against the model relied on “emotional, special interest, cherry‑picking analysis,” and he said a “yes” vote for the settlement would avoid prolonged litigation and additional costs for ratepayers. Those characterizations reflect his views; the board did not discuss the substance of the settlement in public before recessing.

Following public comment, John, the agency’s executive officer, said he was preparing “a longer statement for our regular scheduled board meeting next week.” The board then recessed to a closed session; the meeting record shows no public vote or other formal public action at the special session.

Roll call at the start of the meeting noted Director Mulhart and Director Popoda present. Mauricio was the only public commenter recorded in the transcript for the special meeting. The board announced it would meet in closed session and might return if there was an announcement to be made.