Central San Earns Seventh Statewide IT Excellence Award

The Central Contra Costa Sanitary District board convened for a brisk March meeting anchored by a statewide honor for the district's information technology team and a first look at the draft strategic plan that will guide operations and budgets through mid-2028. Board members also returned from Washington, D.C., with fresh intelligence on federal water policy and flagged major housing developments that will expand the district's customer base.

• Central San wins seventh MISAC Excellence in IT Practices Award, placing it among only 10 California special districts to earn the top honor

• Draft FY 2026–2028 strategic plan introduces consolidated Key Performance Indicators, on track for May adoption and July 1 launch

• Board members lobby Congress on water reuse policy during D.C. advocacy trip, meeting with Congressman Desaulnier

• Hundreds of new housing units across the service area — including 422 townhomes in Walnut Creek — signal growing infrastructure demand

Only 10 Districts in the State: Central San's IT Team Honored Again

The Municipal Information Systems Association of California presented Central San with the 2025 Excellence in Information Technology Practices Award — the association's highest distinction and the district's seventh time earning it.

The basics: MISAC evaluates submissions across 11 major areas including strategic planning, operations and staffing, project management, cybersecurity, disaster recovery, and compliance. Only 10 special districts statewide received the Excellence honor this year.

Why it matters: For a sanitary district that manages critical wastewater infrastructure, robust IT governance is not a luxury — it underpins everything from cybersecurity to operational continuity. External validation from a statewide peer organization carries more weight than internal self-assessment.

Where things stand: Ed, a MISAC representative, told the board that Central San's record is exceptional: "This makes the seventh time that Central San's IT has earned this Excellence award following a prior achievement award. And this year there are only 10 special districts here in California that have received this excellence honor." (Lightly edited for clarity.)

IT Manager Charles Mallory introduced each member of his team individually to the board — from infrastructure and customer service staff to cybersecurity and applications specialists — and made clear where the credit belongs: "I have been in the IT industry for more years than I care to say, and this is absolutely the best team that I've ever worked with."

Mallory also stressed the significance of outside recognition: "The team hears it from me all the time, how good they are. The board hears it as well. But to hear it from an outside party I think really underscores the work that this actual team does."

General Manager Roger praised Mallory's leadership since his hire four years ago: "He has truly been transformational for that group. The group continues to excel, as is demonstrated by this award. I think that it's the type of leadership that the entire organization can learn from."

The other side: No concerns were raised — only additional praise. Phil, a senior staff member, offered a telling comparison: "I've worked at several utilities. One utility had 400 IT people. The other utility had 100 IT people. And the level of satisfaction that this much smaller team delivers is higher than I saw on either of those." Board Member Barbara Hockett separately praised the team's responsiveness and availability.

Strategic Plan Preview: New KPIs, Same Biennial Rhythm

Staff presented the board with the draft FY 2026–2028 Strategic Plan, continuing a biennial planning process the district has maintained since 2014.

The basics: The plan includes the vision, mission, values, and goals the board adopted on Jan. 22, 2026, plus staff-developed strategies, initiatives, and a new set of consolidated Key Performance Indicators. The KPIs replace what were previously tracked separately as "key success measures" and "key metrics."

A staff presenter explained the change: "The KPIs are a new component to the Strategic Plan. We actually took what was known as key success measures and key metrics and have combined them and renamed them to KPIs."

What's next: The draft was reviewed by the Administration Committee on Feb. 17 and will be integrated into the draft budget book. It returns to the Administration Committee and full board in May for final review and receipt, with a July 1 launch. Communications staff will produce and distribute strategic plan booklets over the summer. The board received the report without questions or comments.

D.C. Advocacy and Housing Growth Signal Infrastructure Demand Ahead

Board member reports painted a picture of a district preparing for growth on two fronts: federal policy and local development.

Federal advocacy: Board Member Tad Pilecki attended the CASA policy forum in Washington, D.C., where the delegation visited six Senate offices and four congressional offices from the California delegation: "We did six congressional visits to Senate offices from our California delegation and four congressional offices and actually met with Congressman Desaulnier." Pilecki also flagged upcoming events including a Water Reuse symposium in Los Angeles, a town hall with Congressman Desaulnier in Orinda, and a Contra Costa Special Districts association meeting.

Housing growth: Board President Florence Weddington attended the Walnut Creek Chamber's Future of Walnut Creek 2026 event, where the mayor discussed a strong local economy and a significant new development: "He also discussed the Mitchell townhomes that are going to be built in the Shadelands area, and there's going to be 422 units as part of that development, and these are required to meet the housing goals of the state." Weddington also spoke at the Sustainable Rossmoor monthly meeting about Central San and its upcoming 80th anniversary celebration.

Board Member Jean Kuznik attended the State of the City event in San Ramon and noted continued housing expansion there as well — "A good look at how San Ramon is doing and what the future looks like. So many more customers to come."

Why it matters: Hundreds of new housing units across Walnut Creek and San Ramon translate directly into increased wastewater service demand. Federal water reuse policy — the focus of the D.C. trip — could shape how the district meets that demand over the long term.

Minor Items

• Consent calendar approved unanimously, 5-0 (For: Kuznik, Hockett, McGill, Pilecki, Weddington; Against: none; Absent: none). Motion by Board Member Pilecki, second by Board Member Hockett.

• Three financial reports received without discussion: January 2026 expenditures, budget-to-actual through January, and the Q2 FY 2025–26 quarterly review (unaudited).

• General Manager Roger had no announcements beyond the written board packet.

• Board entered closed session for conference with legal counsel regarding one potential litigation case, pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.9(d)(2).