KHTS Radio Santa Clarita Radio – Santa Clarita News
The Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency Board decided to appoint an interim board member during their Tuesday night meeting, after the conviction and sentencing of vice president Dan Mortensen for domestic assault.
On Tuesday, members of the SCV Water Agency announced that they would appoint someone to hold the vacant board seat of Mortensen after an hour of debate in an eight to three vote.
The board was given the options of appointing an interim vice president, eliminating the seat, or taking no action. Only by eliminating the seat or taking no action would the seat remain vacant until the November elections.
On March 7, Mortensen was found guilty of one misdemeanor count of battery of a spouse for punching his wife on April 12, 2020 in their Newhall home. Deputies that night said they found his wife and daughter hiding behind a locked door.
Mortensen was sentenced Tuesday to 36 months of summary probation, 52 weeks of domestic violence classes, as well as $1000 to be given to domestic violence shelters and additional court fines and fees. Mortensen is also required to take part in an alcohol program, a court protective order and 20 days community labor, according to Ricardo Santiago, spokesperson for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
After his conviction, Mortensen resigned from his position as vice president of the SCV Water board, on which he represented District 3, which includes portions of Newhall, Valencia, Castaic and the SCV communities west of the 5 Freeway.
At the time of his arrest, Mortensen was given the chance to avoid trial and for the charges to be dropped by undergoing a 52-week diversion program, however he declined this, saying he was “running for office again in November ” and could not be in domestic violence classes.
The seat to be occupied by an interim member is set to be up for election this year in November.
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This article is inaccurate. This was not a meeting to fill the position of VP. Instead the Board will fill a board seat position by adding a new member right before the election. that seat will be eliminated at the next election when the Water Board is supposed to go down to 9 members. This would have been an opportunity to get there. Instead they choose to spend the public’s money so that whomever they appoint can be an “incumbent” of their choice in the next election.