Active Claremont invites the public to a Q&A on water system ownership on Thursday, September 19. The event takes place at 7 p.m. in the Padua Room of the Hughes Center, located at 1700 Danbury Road in Claremont.

Richard Hajas of OjaiFlow—a grassroots effort to take water ownership away from Golden State Water Company—will be the featured speaker. Mr. Hajas is a 30-year resident of the Ojai Valley and a 10-year resident of the city of Ojai. He has over 30 years experience managing the operations and finances of local water agencies, including serving as assistant general manager of the Casitas Municipal Water District and general manager of the Camrosa Water District in Camarillo, a role he assumed for 15 years.

Most recently he provided budgeting, planning and rate design consulting services to the Meiners Oaks Water District. And as of August 27, helped to win an election to unhitch themselves from Golden State Water and annex instead into the La Casitas Water District, a publicly owned service. A Q&A will follow Mr. Hajas’ presentation.