Chapter 5. Personnel of California Water Code >> Division 15. >> Part 5. >> Chapter 5.

A district may employ engineers and others to survey, plan, locate and report on the works necessary for the reclamation of the lands of the district, and estimate the cost thereof.

A district may obtain such professional and other services as is necessary to accomplish the purposes of the district and may employ such assistance as the board deems necessary.

A district may employ an expert in agriculture and related matters and such assistants as may be deemed necessary to do any of the following:
  (a) Supervise the construction of works for the irrigation or protection of district lands.
  (b) Advise landowners, or any person engaged in farming district land, of methods of increasing the productiveness of such land or as to any matters of husbandry.
  (c) Conduct experiments as prescribed by the board.
  (d) Perform duties for the general welfare of the people of the district as prescribed by the board.

A district issuing warrants or levying or collecting assessments may employ a clerk who, under the direction of the county treasurer, shall attend to matters pertaining to the registration and payment of warrants and to the levying and collecting of assessments.

The clerk shall receive for his or her services a yearly sum equal to one and one-half cents ($0.015) per acre based on the net acreage of the district as indicated by the records of the district, or, if the net acreage is not obtainable from the records of the district, based upon the records of the county elections official or, if the district has outstanding bonds it shall pay the clerk three cents ($0.03) per acre.

Each claim for clerk hire must be approved by the county treasurer.

The board, upon presentation of a proper claim, shall draw semiannually a warrant on the district funds for such clerk hire.

If the board neglects or refuses to draw a warrant based upon a proper claim for clerk hire, 10 percent of the amount of the claim shall be added thereto, and thereafter 2 percent per month shall be added to the claim until a warrant is issued.

No county officer shall charge or receive any fee for services which he is required to perform in relation to the registration and payment of warrants or the collection of assessments but reasonable and necessary expense actually incurred by a county treasurer in connection with such acts shall be paid out of the funds of the districts.

No member of any board of supervisors, or clerk of such board, shall receive compensation, other than his regular salary, for services performed pursuant to this division.