SWA Sponsorship Vote Inconsistent With Policy 519

Sweetwater Authority Board Meeting February 12, 2025

Agenda Item 8.1: Consideration to Approve Sponsorship for the Voice of San Diego’s Off the Record: 20th Anniversary Celebration

First of all, Director Steve Castaneda recused himself from this item.

Apparently, although he did not have a financial relationship, his spouse is part of the [event sponsorship] committee and the [Voice of San Diego] Board.*

Director Ron Morrison’s question clarified that the sponsorship solicitation was not from a Board Member but someone else.

[By deductive reasoning that "someone else" would have been Castaneda’s spouse]

Where and when is this event? That information was not on the sponsorship flyer included in the agenda package.

The Voice of San Diego 20th anniversary event will be at a fancy restaurant on Harbor Island—Coasterra—on May 29th.

Director Elizabeth Cox pointed out that said sponsorship was inconsistent with their Policy 519.

Policy 519 stipulated:

1. Event must be open to the public

2. Have no entrance fee

3. Be within their service area

None of the above policy requirements would be met.

Yet, that didn’t matter to the Chair and two other Board Members. No need to paraphrase what they said in support.

The board meeting video [Location 07:38] will be available for 4 years until their new records retention policy wipes it off the face of the earth.

Two votes were taken and both failed. The first was for $5,000 and the second was for $3,500.

The Board Members who voted against this sponsorship with Elizabeth Cox were Ron Morrison and Paulina Martinez-Perez.

*Per Voice of San Diego: Castaneda’s spouse is a volunteer on a committee soliciting event sponsorships but not a member of their Board.

Submitted by a Common Sense Reader

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