More than a year after the outgoing general manager of Marina Coast Water District indicated he had plans to leave the embattled water district, Jim Heitzman has moved on—with a $239,000 payout.
"Heitzman moves on to pursue new opportunities," according to an announcement released by Marina Coast.
Neither Heitzman nor board chair Tom Moore were immediately available for comment. (Heitzman once told the Squid he may open a laundromat if a water doomsday were really headed for the Peninsula; by some indicators, that's inevitable.)
"We are grateful for the accomplishments and contributions Jim made at the district," Moore said in a statement.
Heitzman led Marina Coast through its period as a partner in the now-defunct Regional Water Project, and the water district still has pending claims by and against the Monterey County Water Resources Agency, one of the three project partners, along with California American Water.
Documents that surfaced during criminal proceedings against former Water Resources Agency board member Steve Collins showed Heitzman was in the know about Collins' alleged conflict of interest from early on.
The subsequent revelation that a public official was being paid by a private contractor on the desal project was largely responsible for sinking the $400 million desal plans.
Heitzman signed a separation agreement with the board on May 31, and served his final week last week.
According to the agreement, Heitzman will be paid one year's salary upon his departure.
There are no immediate plans to recruit a replacement. The board will discuss next steps at the upcoming board meeting on June 17, but in the mean time, Deputy General Manager Brian Lee may be appointed interim GM. Lee joined Marina Coast earlier this year while Heitzman was on leave.