Leggett tries to break impasse over hiring a new WSSC chief

County balking because top candidate among Prince George's commissioners is a minority, board member says

ëëThey're asking me for guidance, saying we're at a deadlock," Leggett (D) said, referring to conversations with the county's commissioners at the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission.

Leggett, who has said he will work with Prince George's County Executive Jack B. Johnson (D) to resolve the impasse, said he believes it will be September before a new general manager is selected to succeed Andrew D. Brunhart who left in February after the board did not renew his contract.

Proposals for breaking 3-3 splits are being looked at by staffers for Prince George's County Executive Jack B. Johnson (D) and for Leggett, their spokesmen said.

The utility serves more than 1.6 million customers in the two counties.

Meanwhile Prince George's legislators - reacting to comments made by Montgomery County Council members that stalemates between the two counties' commissioners need to end - said calls to restructure of the WSSC's board are premature.

ëëGovernance - are there issues at that level? Yes, but that may be a good thing. Through those deliberations, we may have some equity," said Del. Aisha N. Braveboy (D-Dist. 25) of Mitchellville, who credited Prince George's commissioners for pushing back a plan this year that would have imposed large new fees to pay for failing infrastructure.

ëëIt's too early to say we need to change everything," said Councilwoman Nancy M. Floreen (D-At large) of Garrett Park, who heads the Montgomery council committee that oversees WSSC. ëëThe place is operating fine at this point, [but] we need the general manager issue to be resolved."

Still, three Montgomery council members said they see persistent, perhaps inherent, problems with the six-member board.

Roger Berliner (D-Dist. 1) of Potomac and George L. Leventhal (D-At large) of Takoma Park, who also serve on Floreen's committee, said it is evident that having an even number of commissioners is a bad idea.

Council President Michael J. Knapp (D-Dist. 2) of Germantown raised the possibility of adding alternates or a seventh member, perhaps appointed by the governor.

That would require a change to state law, a process where the first and major hurdle is getting approval of state lawmakers from both counties.

In an e-mail to reporters, the two county executives and her fellow commissioners, Prince George's Commissioner Juanita Miller denounced Knapp's proposal as a distraction from "their [Montgomery's] attempt to hijack the GM hiring process from the candidate," who she said scored highest and identified is Rudolph Chow, an engineer and veteran WSSC employee.

Miller also suggested that Montgomery officials may be balking at picking Chow, who is Asian, because he is a minority. "No comment," said Leggett spokesman Patrick K. Lacefield.

Montgomery Commissioner Gene Counihan was disdainful of Miller's accusation. "The only appropriate comment is no comment," he said.

Asked if the selection process has been fair, WSSC Chairwoman Joyce Starks of Prince George's said, "I can't say that it hasn't been."

Starks said this is not the first time that commissioners disagreed about a general manager.

If the "support" of county executives is needed, Starks said, she would "welcome" it.