The Hillsboro Herald brings you this weekend update in our continuing series on Clean Water Services and the crisis inside the Public Agency. The Oregonian broke this story after months of great investigative journalism by reporter Jamie Goldberg. Follow this link to read her in-depth reporting, which exposes lavish spending and abuse of ratepayer money by the CWS CEO and top executives. This is a monstrous story; there will be so much more to follow if transparency and justice are served. It has gone beyond the typical government mismanagement. It could easily become a story of fraud and financial manipulations at a level we have not seen in many years. However, because the CEO of Clean Water Services is not forthcoming with information and appears to be blocking the Oregonian from gaining crucial information on CWS spending and other records, there is no way to be clear. CEO Diane Taniguchi-Dennis declined interviews and seems to be trying to weather this storm behind layers of secrecy. At the center of this tempest is the discovery of a Hawaii-based Insurance company owned and funded by Clean Water Services. The insurance company, Clean Water Insurance Company, has been used to pay for trips, meals, and luxury accommodations for CWS Executives and guests, which could include some current/former Washington County Officials. To many residents and ratepayers who struggle under the financial weight of CWS, this is too much to accept.
Here are the stories the Herald has written so far on CWS: https://hillsboroherald.com/?s=clean+water+services’
This Weeks News
The Washington County Commissioners are the Board of Directors for Clean Water Services. They called what equated to an emergency meeting to pass a Resolution, CWS RO 25-5, which is designed to create more accountability, curb spending by the CWS Executives, and audit the agency’s expenses. Tuesday’s resolution requires Clean Water Services to hire an independent auditor for a three-year review of travel and food spending. The agency must also update its travel rules, examine its food policies, and, among other changes, stop allowing executives to use ratepayer funds for local meals.
Here is Goldberg’s last story on this entire debacle:
Here is what the Resolution is requesting CWS to do:
- Engage an external auditor to comprehensively review the agency’s travel and meal expenses spanning the previous three fiscal years. But it seems CWS can select the auditor and set the scope of the audit. That part needs more teeth and clarity.
- Retain a third-party consultant to assess the agency’s Hawaii-based insurance provider.
- Conduct a thorough review and implement tighter restrictions on expenditures made by the agency’s management team.
- Develop comprehensive written guidelines and training for employees clarifying what constitutes “allowable travel.” The findings of this development must be reported by June 30.
- Revise the agency’s existing travel policy, with a deadline for completion of May 1.
- Review the current policy regarding meals and refreshments by the end of June. Furthermore, Clean Water Services will no longer reimburse any local meal purchases made by executive management team members, except in documented emergency situations.
TO CATCH UP IN 5 MINUTES ON HOW BAD THIS ENTIRE ISSUE IS- WATCH THIS KGW STORY-
TO WATCH THE WASHINGTON COUNTY COMMISSIONERS DEBATE THE CWS DEBACLE
We all pay for the money these people are playing with. CWS is a Monopoly—we can not fire them or refuse to pay them. Our County Commissioners have lost control of this Agency and appear to care about what happens next. But do any of them have anything to hide? Are they being tough enough?
Let me, as the editor of the Hillsboro Herald, make two statements to all of you, our readers and community members.
1: We must all call for the immediate resignation of Clean Water Services CEO Diane Taniguchi-Dennis. She has lost the public’s trust and has refused to be transparent or direct her staff and legal counsel to cooperate and provide the requested information. Her involvement and status as the Clean Water Insurance Company leader, unwillingness to share financial information about that entity, and lavish spending on meals, hotels, and travel all add to the breach of public trust. She is currently the subject of an Ethics Investigation by the State of Oregon. I believe she must resign immediately or be removed from her job by the Washington County Commissioners.
2: All of the Washington County Commissioners must immediately disclose to the public:
All meals they have ever had that were paid for by Clean Water Services or Clean Water Insurance Company.
All junkets, events, trips, travel, or any other functions they have ever participated in that were paid for by Clean Water Services or Clean Water Insurance Company;
All gifts and any other form of compensation that they have received or benefited from that were ever paid for by Clean Water Services or Clean Water Insurance Company;
And finally, any legal fees, campaign donations, consulting fees, or any other benefits they have received from Clean Water Services, Clean Water Insurance Company, or any executives or staff of either entity.
The Commissioners looked very serious in the meeting this past week. They did what we would expect Commissioners would do given the level of this Crisis and the very real appearance and potential that hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not more, have been squandered and misused by CWS and its Executives. However, some of them appear to have travelled with CWS executives on trips, and the whistleblower information we sent here at the Herald indicates that this has been happening for some time. How can a Commissioner govern or enforce an agency from which they have benefited? They can’t. Thus, there is a need for disclosure and for others to be involved.
I think the Oregon Attorney General’s office needs to get involved at this point.
What do you think? Sound off below.
WHISTLEBLOWERS WANTED
Many of you at CWS know more than anyone and have nothing to do with this. I offer you total anonymity and protection if you want to talk, meet up, or email me anonymously. I can be reached on Facebook and Instagram at hillsboroherald@gmail.com or at my phone number, 503-799-8383. Someone needs to say something. Reach out, Please!
I truly am “up in arms” over what is happening with our charge from CWS & TVWD. I have written on my neighborhood communication & aso emailed representative Bonamici. Something must be done about the exorbantant rates we are being charged. A single occupant of a home under 1500 square feet, in the middle of winter, receiving a billl for $214 is unbelievable. Then to read about the tremendous salaries, lavish first-class trips & lucheons taking place is a slap in the face to the average hard woking Oregonian or retired citizen. Times are tough for the “average Joe” & this is totally inexcusable! Something must be done!!!!
I have been in touch with CWS regarding this issue. Here is the most recent response
Hello again, Mary. The Clean Water Services (CWS) Board of Directors has taken into account the concerns of community members like you. During a special business meeting on Tuesday, April 8, the Board unanimously passed a Resolution & Order (R&O) directing CWS to audit spending, review policies and plans, restrict executive management team spending, provide training, and more. The R&O lays out steps to increase oversight and accountability.
We have posted public statements from
the Board and from
CEO Diane Taniguchi-Dennis on the CWS website, as well as a
Frequently
Asked Questions page regarding the recent media coverage. Additional information will be added there soon. If you have further questions or concerns, you can reach our leadership by emailing
cwsboard@cleanwaterservices.org.
We will keep ratepayers updated as we continue the work of meeting the Board’s directives and rebuilding your trust. In the meantime, we hope you’ll consider joining us for an upcoming
public
tour of a CWS treatment facility to see your investment in protecting public health in action.
If only they really meant this to be serious. They aren’t serious. If they were they would be controlling the audit. And they would admit to their roles in all of this.
We also need to address why this person has a total salary (base + extra) of $400,000/yr. Not to mention a fat pension, paid health ins., and other perks.
Is she some kind of water genius that is irreplaceable? No govt employee in our county should be making that much. This is ludicrous!
It’s not good enought to try to offer a “fix” now. This should never have happened in the first place. Dig deep… insist in records going back decades. I’m guessing there’s a limit to the number of years they are required to retain financial records. But… look also at the agency and their “power.”
Off with their heads! Someone needs to be fired!
More than one.
The Washington County Board is relying on PR. It’s not working. CWS board is a joke. The CWS Director needs to go. The insurance company hoax needs to be brought to Oregon. Hawaiian laws apparently hide information so that more immoral leaders of other public agencies will incorporate in that state.
Insurance company board for CWS is made up of people who are obviously bought and paid for.
Singapore and Laos? No shame in Washington County officials.
Absolutely NO CHANGE will happen unless WE vote for leader(s) who will assume accountbility and fix issues. I love Hillsboro but it’s gotten way too expensive! Forget tarriffs and the banter, this has been bubbling before BadOrangeMan became our POTUS. Mayor Pace, step up and show leadership, you have the experience and the grit.
I would like to she her and our City file a formal complaint, like I did.
Completely unbelievable. Having all
These perks while
Your customers pay for these travels!!!!’ Dispicable. My water bills are ridiculous. Our bills should be going down after this fiasco!!!
This is totally outrageous. Mismanagement and improper use of tax payer monies to the core. Resolution, CWS RO 25-5 in my opinion, is a good start. However, going forth, people should be removed from their positions, beginning with the CEO, and when this is accomplished, re-establish the salary. $400,000 is ridiculous and extreme. How can this position earn the same as the President of the US?? I’m also floored about the Singapore and Laos trip..why did 5 CW delegates need to go? One would have sufficed.
Diane Taniguchi-Dennis hopefully she is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and is required to repay all that she stole from the tax payers !!!! never allowed to be any type of public servant ever !!!! all her punishment won’t be enough for the betrayal she has done to the tax payers !!!