Page 64 - CASA - ED - AMB 05 30 19

Akin Babatola
Tuesday, May 28, 2019

1:06 PM

CASA is an important organization for the things that I do. It would be a significant exposure for me in the industry if I go the job.

1. Why are you interested in the ED opportunity with CASA?

I have done a whole lot of work. I have managed CCLEAN which is a grouping of seven districts mandated by the State to find ways
for better clean water practices. It is basically a microcosm of what one would do for CASA. Except that all of the members of CCLEAN
have to have CCLEAN written into their permits. It's of interest to me because it is a step above what I currently do and gives me an
opportunity to apply what I've learned here on a broader scale. I know that CASA is invested in the issues of white flush that bedev-
ils most municipalities now, including my own municipality. An organization like CASA has the ability to advise its membership to go
after certain ordinances. Someone of my experience can add to that type of strategy that CASA would employ. I am also aware that
CASA plays an important role in advancing the industry. I think one of the things that is missing is the lack of the attention of replacing
those who are leaving. Something like 90% of operators are in the silver tsunami. There could be more diversity including women,
minorities - CASA can assist the other organizations to embolden the profiles of the industry. It could help to reflect the aptitude that
could respond to the challenges of the clean water act and of the populations that we serve.

2. Please describe your most recent position and day-to-day responsibilities.

I currently run the environmental compliance programs for the City of Santa Cruz for my day job, I also am the Chair for CCLEAN. I am
going to focus on CCLEAN. What I do at that level is coordinate budget, management, and responses to the Water Board - including
the maintenance of acceptable levels of chemicals and the effects on fish and greater area within the northern regions of the cen-
ter. Within the City of Santa Cruz - I work on the environment that overlaps water and wastewater. My laboratory works on finding
bacteria in our waters to determine how to control a source of pollution. I make the lab ready, I get people the technology to ask and
answer those questions. They work with storm water inspectors as well as operators to help with productivity and how it is respect-
ed by others. The other half of that is the environmental compliance program. We run the program of incentives to be compliant with
the sewer and storm water administration within the City. We will celebrate the entities annually which have been compliant with our
ordinances.

Seven Districts - Scotts Valley, Watsonville, Genergy? (powerplant), Monterey 1, Carmel Area Water District and the Water Board, City
of Santa Cruz

City of Santa Cruz - Laboratory and Environmental Compliance Manager.

3. What is your assessment regarding current water, climate and other environmental issues California is facing and how do you think
CASA can best address these issues?

Certainly we have a reprieve from the drought that was prevailing much of the long decade. The City that I represent and all of the
other cities along the Central Coast were aware of the efforts to stop or minimize continuous discharge into the ocean when we had
the drought. That weaves into the idea of resource recovery and conservation. The energy it takes to treat these resources and then
simply discharge them as waste into ocean. Yes - CASA can play a significant role in galvanizing support of its own subscribers and
then voicing its support of its subscribers and coordination of synchronized messaging with the Water Board. I am aware that CASA
weaves this into their contract - I think it is important, I think many cities like the City of San Jose and now Santa Cruz have high-level
staff persons committed to the climate change issues. At an organization like CASA we can do a whole lot by getting templates togeth-
er and synchronized messages together so that the individual messages are not as onerous as they are. Resource management allows
us to prepare for the sorts of events like a drought to allow members to work together and manage the costs.