My home backs up to the Angeles National Forest, so fire is never far from my mind. No water system is designed to stop a wind-driven wildfire like the Eaton Fire, but that fire also showed how important the foundational elements are: properly maintained pipes, enough water and pressure for the fires the system is designed to fight, and a district that plans ahead.
I’ve lived in La Cañada for 52 years and watched our city grow and mature. Through all of it, most of us took our water for granted. That’s changing. Rates keep climbing, imported supplies are less certain, and much of the infrastructure that serves us is aging and will need major investment.
As a structural engineer by profession, I know how complex these systems are, and how costly it is when decisions are made without understanding them. The Foothill Municipal Water District board will make decisions in the coming years that affect our safety, our reliability and our bills for decades.
That’s why I’m supporting Amy Chen. I’ve known Amy and her family for years. She is a fellow engineer with 40 years in California water, and she understands both the infrastructure and the decisions behind it. When the next emergency comes, I want someone like Amy helping make sure our system is as prepared as it can be.
Our ballots are here. Please join me in voting for Amy I. Chen, Foothill Municipal Water District, Division 4, by Nov. 3.
Terry Sneed
La Cañada Flintridge