Grand jury investigating Tarrant Regional Water District after complaint about settlement
The Tarrant Regional Water District will face grand jury scrutiny over its settlement with former general manager Jim Oliver.
In an Oct. 5 letter, obtained Wednesday by the Star-Telegram, Tarrant County District Attorney Sharen Wilson notified the board that her office received a complaint about the proposed settlement and the board’s actions at its Sept. 29 meeting.
Wilson’s office asked the board to preserve recordings of closed meetings, including attorney consultations about “personnel matters,” documents and recordings relating to actions the board took with regards to its paid leave policy, and “any communications or other evidence made in furtherance of a felony.”
Lon Burnam, a former state representative who leads the Water District Accountability Project and Tarrant Coalition for Environmental Awareness, said his group filed a complaint with the district attorney’s office, but he was not sure if it prompted the investigation.
He praised the letter, saying this is how the DA’s office should handle citizen complaints.
“You’ve got a grassroots organization that has brought a concern to light and there are various law enforcement authorities that need to follow through with this,” Burnam said.
In an emailed statement, water district spokesperson Chad Lorance defended the agency’s actions saying the board acted on advice of its legal council and complied with all state and federal laws.
“We are in consultation with legal counsel regarding next steps,” Lorance wrote.
The board approved a $161,647 settlement with Oliver on Sept. 29 to resolve a dispute over a $300,000 payment that the board had revoked in June. Outgoing board president Jack Stevens had unilaterally awarded Oliver 2,000 hours of paid time off in March.
Oliver agreed to drop a threatened age discrimination lawsuit and any claims to the $300,000 payment in exchange for six months salary and remaining earned paid time off.
The water district board is scheduled to meet at 8:30 a.m. Thursday to discuss changes to its policies.
This story was originally published October 13, 2021 at 5:42 PM.
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