Public Forum Set on DWP Layoff Plan

DWP general manager S. David Freeman will be at Mission College on Tuesday to hear public input on his proposal to lay off 2,000 workers and pay off $4 billion in debt to prepare for deregulation of the energy market.

Freeman said the Department of Water and Power, the nation’s largest public utility, will go out of business without the layoffs. He said the plan, which he unveiled last month, will reduce the agency’s debt without raising rates.

“I want to ensure that by the end of the transition period, we will be in a position to provide very substantial rate reductions that can be given to all customer classes,” Freeman said. “In doing so, I will not in any way sacrifice the quality and reliability of the water and electric systems.”

City Councilman Richard Alarcon will also attend Tuesday’s meeting, part of a series of DWP forums at which customers can comment on the proposed changes. The Mission College meeting is the only one scheduled in the Valley so far, DWP officials said.

In addition to the layoffs, 75% of which would come from among managers and engineers, Freeman proposes selling 600 DWP vehicles and merging the agency’s helicopter fleet with the Fire Department’s.

The restructuring plan has received tentative approval from DWP’s Board of Commissioners. It awaits approval by the City Council and Mayor Richard Riordan. Riordan, who appointed Freeman in August, supports the plan, as do several council members, including council President John Ferraro.

However, the Engineers and Architects Assn., which represents many of the workers on the layoff list, said the proposed cuts unfairly target its members.

Tuesday’s meeting will be held from 7 to 9:30 p.m. in Mission’s Campus Center, 13356 Eldridge Ave., Sylmar.