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Council appoints Councilmember Shin to San Diego County Water Authority board, 3–2
Summary
Council voted 3–2 to adopt a resolution appointing Councilmember Shin to the San Diego County Water Authority Board of Directors rather than appointing the Carlsbad Municipal Water District general manager; supporters cited technical expertise and representation, opponents preferred the general manager appointment or different representation.
The council considered three options for filling a vacancy on the San Diego County Water Authority board: appoint the Carlsbad Municipal Water District general manager (Amanda Flessey), appoint a council member for an interim term, or open recruitment. After discussion about technical expertise versus elected representation, Councilmember Shin was nominated and the resolution appointing him passed 3–2.
Councilmember Burkholder spoke in support of Amanda Flessey, praising her work on the Water Authority board and noting the technical demands of the role: "Amanda Flesse is our Carlsbad Municipal Water District Director, and I think she's done an amazing job... I feel really comfortable with her in that role as a professional in water." (Burkholder)
Councilmember Shen (Shin) said he recognized the workload and offered to serve if colleagues preferred an elected official in the seat. Councilmember Acosta and Mayor Pro Tem Priya Bhat Patel seconded and discussed workload and the steep learning curve for Water Authority matters.
The council clarified that the motion combined adoption of the resolution (option 2) with naming Councilmember Shin as the appointee. The vote passed 3–2; councilmembers supporting the motion cited the need for an elected representative and willingness to take on the required work, while dissenting votes favored retaining professional general manager expertise in the seat.
