Wednesday December 14, 2022
Monterey Herald —
Just weeks after the Coastal Commission voted to approve a controversial desalination plant along the Monterey Peninsula, a water management district indicated Monday it will file a lawsuit alleging the regulator unlawfully delegated its authority to other state and local agencies in addition to several other complaints.
Dave Laredo, the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District counsel, said Tuesday the lawsuit being prepared will focus on three primary complaints. The first allegation is the Coastal Commission at its Nov. 17 marathon meeting in Salinas failed to provide a fair hearing because Commission chairwoman Donne Brownsley cut off any further comments from dozens of public speakers who waited for hours to voice their views.
“It was procedurally flawed,” Laredo said.
The Commission in an email Tuesday from Noaki Schwartz, the commission’s Deputy Director of Communications, said its policy is not to comment on pending litigation.