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Published on November 5, 2010
November 5, 2010
Mr. H. Christopher Owings
Assistant Director, Division of Corporate Finance
Securities and Exchange Commission
100 F Street, N.E.
Washington, DC 20549
Assistant Director, Division of Corporate Finance
Securities and Exchange Commission
100 F Street, N.E.
Washington, DC 20549
Re:
|
California Water Service Groups | |
Form 10-K for the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2009 filed March 1, 2010 | ||
Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A filed April 7, 2010 | ||
File No. 001-13883 |
Dear Mr. Owings:
This letter responds to your letter dated October 27, 2010, regarding California Water Service
Groups (the Company or we) Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31,
2009 filed March 1, 2010 and Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A filed April 7, 2010
(together, the Filings).
For ease of reference, the numbered paragraphs below correspond to the numbered comments in your
letter, with your comments presented in bold followed by the related responses.
Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A
Compensation Discussion and Analysis, page 16
Determining Executive Compensation, page 20
1. | We note your response to comment four in our letter dated September 27, 2010. We also note the discussion of the CEOs performance goals on page 17. In this regard, please also discuss how the CEO implemented improvements in California regulation and achieved planned results in other corporate initiatives, and describe the corporate initiatives. In addition, we do not see a discussion of the other named executive officers performance goals and their success in achieving them. See Item 402(b)(2)(vii) of Regulation S-K. | ||
The Company will revise its future filings to clarify the performance goals applicable to the CEO and the other named executive officers, as requested in this Comment No. 1. With respect to the disclosure of the performance goals applicable to the CEO, for |
Mr. H. Christopher Owings
November 5, 2010
Page 2
November 5, 2010
Page 2
example, the last paragraph on page 17 of the Companys Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A filed April 7, 2010 would be revised substantially as follows: |
In addition to the review of competitive data, the CEO provides a full
self-assessment of his own performance and degree of success in meeting the
goals set for him by the Committee at the beginning of the year, and this
is followed by the Committees assessment of the Groups performance and
the CEOs role in achieving that performance. The CEOs goals for 2009
were to contribute to the development and implementation of
|
The Company will provide a similar level of appropriate detail with respect to the performance goals applicable to each of the other named executive officers. |
* * *
This letter also constitutes a statement by the Company acknowledging that:
| the Company is responsible for the adequacy and accuracy of the disclosure in the Filings; | ||
| staff comments or changes to disclosure in response to staff comments do not foreclose the SEC from taking any action with respect to the Filings; and |
Mr. H. Christopher Owings
November 5, 2010
Page 3
November 5, 2010
Page 3
| the Company may not assert staff comments as a defense in any proceeding initiated by the SEC or any person under the federal securities laws of the United States. |
If you should have any questions or further comments, please do not hesitate to call Doug Smith at
(415) 393-8390 or Kyle Kreiss at (415) 393-8389.
Best regards,
/s/ Calvin Breed
Controller, Assistant Secretary &
Assistant Treasurer
Assistant Treasurer
cc:
|
Martin A. Kropelnicki | |
Doug Smith |