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Montecito Sanitary District approves $22,800 contract with Jacob Green & Associates, requires timeline
Summary
The Montecito Sanitary District board approved a $22,800 contract with Jacob Green & Associates to update bylaws, policies and procedures, adding a requirement that the consultant deliver a timeline and review the ad hoc committee's draft before work proceeds.
The Montecito Sanitary District board voted to approve a $22,800 agreement with Jacob Green & Associates to revise the district's bylaws, policies and procedures, with conditions that the consultant provide a timeline for deliverables and that staff share the ad hoc committee's draft policies for review.
Steve Marmel, the Jacob Green representative who participated remotely, said the firm’s scope includes reviewing bylaws and policies, identifying gaps and meeting individually with each board member. "I would be happy to answer any particular questions you have about it," Marmel told the board, summarizing work the firm proposed after the Dec. 17 strategic workshop.
Several directors pressed for clarity on what Jacob Green would do and whether the firm had reviewed prior work by the district’s ad hoc policies group. One director said, "I think there's some things missing in this contract," and asked that the motion be amended to require a timeline and that the consultant receive the ad hoc committee's draft before proceeding. Counsel assisted in drafting the amendment on the record; the board approved the amended motion.
The vote on the amended motion to authorize the general manager to execute the contract was recorded as: Barrett — Aye; Johnson — Aye; Newquist — Nay; Allman — Aye; Rockenbach — Aye. The motion passed 4–1. The board directed staff to provide Jacob Green with the existing ad hoc draft and to obtain a timeline for completing the deliverables before significant work proceeds.
Why it matters: Board members said updated governance documents are necessary to support upcoming capital projects, inter-district work and clearer committee roles. The contract follows a December workshop that the board described as setting priorities for this governance work. The consultant engagement is structured as a short, targeted scope to fill identified gaps rather than to replace the board’s own drafting work.
The board did not set a specific deadline in the motion beyond the requirement that Jacob Green report a timeline; staff and the consultant are expected to return to the board with that schedule as part of the deliverables.
