LAS VEGAS - The chairman of the Clean Water Coalition board, Larry Brown, says it will take some time to clean out the desks and dismantle the agency, but there is little doubt the CWC's days are numbered.
"If anybody feels we can just turn off the lights and walk out the door, that would be irresponsible," Brown said. "We'll get it down as small as we can, so when the time comes to close the doors, everything is set."
So what happened? CWC had visions of grandeur not that long ago. It wanted to become a super agency like the Southern Nevada Water Authority with oversight of all wastewater programs in the valley. It wanted to build a multi-billion dollar pipeline to carry treated wastewater out into Lake Mead. For ten years, it's been collecting money from every property owner in the valley to support its plans.
But, it turns out, the three cities and the county which make up the CWC saw the need for a pipeline evaporate as the economy slowed. When the project was canceled last year, CWC had little to do. That is when the Nevada Legislature simply took CWC's $60 million dollar bank account.
Former Clark County Commissioner Chip Maxfield, who went from overseeing CWC to working for it, tried to come up with other reasons for the agency to continue, such as studying water quality. But, that work is already done by other entities.
In July, as the I-Team revealed, Maxfield tried to get approval, without any public discussion, of an over-the-top salary and benefits package for himself and his three staffers. An I-Team investigation revealed a pattern of generosity at CWC wherein Maxfield awarded lucrative consultant contracts to friends and political allies.
The issue of the contracts became central when the North Las Vegas City Council met last week to talk about CWC's future.
"I have a concern about paying consultants, when I don't know what they are doing," said North Las Vegas Mayor Shari Buck.
The death knell started at the Las Vegas City Council where Councilman Steve Ross, who sits on the CWC board, advised the council to get out of CWC. Ross was concerned about Maxfield's plan to fund a new study of wastewater issues, a study to be conducted at a cost of up to a million dollars and lasting up to 18 months.
Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman advised city lawyers to start looking for ways to get out of CWC. When Ross informed CWC at its Tuesday meeting, the die was cast.
CWC can't exist without all four members. Two of those members suspect the proposed study was a ploy to keep CWC staff employed for another 9 to 18 months, mostly so they could oversee the consultant doing the work.
When the I-Team asked Maxfield for an explanation, Maxfield replied, "You could dig into other aspects of what was going on and probably answer the question for yourself."
When pressed multiple times about whether CWC would conduct the study itself or hire someone else, Maxfield replied, "We would utilize a consultant, and we'd be part of that work as well."
Councilman Ross says he will introduce a motion next month that could effectively put an end to the CWC, though Larry Brown says the dissolution will not happen overnight because of contractual promises made by CWC.
