West Sacramento flood agency elects Verna as chair; David Dean named vice chair

The West Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency confirmed Verna as chair and David Dean as vice chair during its Feb. 19 meeting, following a brief debate over whether the interim chair should continue or the newly appointed director should assume leadership.

Staff introduced the item as the agency’s annual nomination of a board chair and vice chair. An unnamed board member nominated David Dean for chair to “give our new director an opportunity...to show his incredible leadership,” and other members argued the customary path was for the sitting vice chair to ascend to chair. After discussion, the board moved and approved a motion to appoint Dean as vice chair; a subsequent roll-call vote elected Verna as chair, with Mr. Dean voting Aye, Vice Chair Alcala recorded as No, and the interim presiding officer voting Aye.

Board members who supported Dean said he brings relevant credentials and that the chair role mostly involves running meetings and coordinating with staff. Opponents urged continuity and said the interim chair had already taken on many duties. The votes produced two leadership outcomes: the vice chair appointment for Dean and the chair appointment for Verna.

The board then proceeded to routine business and approved the consent agenda, which included ratifying an on-call list of prequalified consultants and a separate surveying contract. During the consent discussion Trustee Alcala had pulled item 2 for questions about contracting mechanisms; staff explained the on-call list operates as a prequalification pool from which task orders or separate solicitations may be issued.

The meeting record shows the board took no public comments and adjourned at 9:59 a.m.