City Staffer Arrested in False Overtime Case

A city employee whose findings led to Huntington Beach’s convictions for failing to fix leaky downtown sewer lines was arrested by police on suspicion of billing the city for more than $5,000 in overtime that authorities allege he did not work.

Jerry Dilks, a public works supervisor, was arrested Monday at his home in Temecula without incident, said Huntington Beach Police Lt. Ron Burgess.

Dilks has been on administrative leave from the city since Oct. 15, when police began an investigation after receiving a tip that Dilks had allegedly overcharged the city and took city property.

He was arrested on suspicion of grand theft, although the case was filed as a misdemeanor, Burgess said. Dilks was later released after posting $25,000 bail. He could not be reached for comment.

Under a plea agreement reached in 2001, Huntington Beach pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor after it knowingly discharged sewage from an old, decaying sewer system and failed to report it.

The city was placed on five years’ probation and ordered to pay $250,000 to help clean up damage caused by the leaking sewage.

The conviction left the city, which at the time was intent on shedding its oil-town reputation in favor of a more upscale image, with a major public relations black eye.

As a crew leader in waste operations, Dilks played a role by writing reports on the city’s sewage leak problem, which was discovered in 1996 but initially went unreported.

City officials have disputed how much raw sewage leaked from its lines. The amount has been estimated as high as 71,374 gallons a day.

On Wednesday, Dilks’ arrest and whether his early reports on the leaks should also come under scrutiny were the subject of debate at City Hall. Mayor Connie Boardman said she preferred to wait until the criminal investigation was completed before speculating about the validity of the reports that Dilks helped develop.

A portion of the city’s sewage leak investigation also included videotapes shot by the city in 1996 that showed widespread leaks in the 600 miles of pipes in the system.

“We need to let the police continue their investigation and see what information turns up,� Boardman said.

A subsequent, $200,000 study concluded that the city’s ground water had not been contaminated by the sewage leaks. Komex H2O Science, a Huntington Beach-based environmental consultant, sampled ground water at 10 wells and tested for bacteria, viruses, four forms of nitrogen, two types of phosphate and organic carbon.

When found in large amounts, those elements would indicate the presence of sewage. No unusual levels of any of the elements were found.