Board postpones vote on $700K security contract for LADWP CEO

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The board for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power postponed a decision Tuesday on a $700,000 private security contract for the department's general manager.

The utility says DWP CEO and Chief Engineer Janisse Quiñones has received numerous threats amid criticism of the department's response to the Palisades Fire.

The postponement decision may have been influenced by L.A. Mayor Karen Bass after a call Monday night to the president of the Board of Water and Power Commissioners.

"The mayor made it very clear that she would like to see a much less expensive contract than the one that we have before us," Board President Richard Katz said. "We're going to work on that between now and the next meeting."

The board says it will look into more cost-effective quotes.

Bass weighed in on the cost of the contract Tuesday.

"My understanding of the contract is that it is up to that dollar amount, so it's not automatically that dollar amount. They can build up to that," Bass said. "I don't know what the threat level is like now, but I do know that the threat level was very, very high when we were closer to the fires."

The vote was postponed by two weeks. The money would fund Quiñones' security detail for one year.

Pacific Palisades residents have blamed the devastation on low water pressure in fire hydrants and the Santa Ynez Reservoir that remained empty for nearly a year awaiting repairs.

LADWP is facing multiple lawsuits and criticism over the response to the Palisades Fire.

Following the fire, Quiñones initially received protection from L.A. Airport Police.