The Otay Water District got back to uniterrupted business Wednesday afternoon.
The five member board held its first meeting since February without protestors or without any public speakers asking for the resignation of Otay Water District Director Hector Gastelum.
“Where are the fireworks?” Gastelum asked when he saw a board room free of protestors, some of who had promised to be at every board meeting until he resigned.
For months, protestors have packed OWD meetings to call on Gastelum’s resignation for what they say are “hateful” and “bigoted” social media posts against Muslims. Groups like the Council on American-Islamic Relations, and Indivisible San Diego have lead the protests and even spoken out at Chula Vista City Council urging the council to take a stand against Gastelum.
The city council voted 4-1 two weeks ago in support of calling for Gastelum’s resignation.
Just as there were no protestors Wednesday afternoon, there also was not anyone speaking in support of Gastelum.
OWD directors were finally able to discuss water business without addressing calls for Gastelum’s removal from office. Amongst the board’s actions, they approved a permanent moratorium on the installation of new recycled water facilities in Otay Mesa.
“I’m glad that this meeting got back to a sense of normality,” said board president Mark Robak. “We are back talking about the business in the water district. That is what we are here to do.”
Gastelum said although protestors were not present, he does not think they are done with him.
“I’m glad they didn’t come, but I don’t think it’s over,” he said.
Director Mitch Thompson, the only board member who has publicly called for Gatelum to resign in a Star-News opinion-editorial, was absent from Tuesday’s meeting because he was on vacation.
Protestor Kilian Colin said organizers cancelled the scheduled May 3 protest the night before the OWD meeting because of a scheduling conflict. He said the main speakers, including himself, could not make it to the meeting but insisted that they will keep fighting to get Gastelum out of office.
“We’ve decided to let him breathe, let him enjoy his weekend,” Colin said. “We will comeback harder next time.”
CAIR spokesman Fayaz Nawabi said in a Twitter message that if Gastelum does not immediately resign, there are plans to recall him.
“We are gathering the signatures to start the recall vote,” he said. “We will serve it to Hector at the June meeting.
In Feburary, the newly elected Republican sent out a series of social media posts in which he called for more countries to be included in President Donald Trump’s Muslim ban. A Tweet read: “Lets pressure our legislators to increase list of so-called #MuslimBan to prevent #Subhuman #Scum from #USA to #MAGA.
In other Tweets, he referred to Muslims in those banned countries as rapists and murderers.
Gastelum has continued to say his Tweets have been taken out of context.
When asked if he was going to resign, Gastelum said “Never.”
