At a special meeting, May 3, the Idyllwild Water District set June 19 for a public hearing to discuss stand-by assessment fees for the water and sewer districts.
IWD’s proposed $30 fee per acre for each acre of unimproved land or each unimproved parcel has remained unchanged for more than 20 years. A list of the parcels and the proposed fee will be available at the hearing.
In other business, the board unanimously approved an additional $33,000 for repair of Well No. 23. After it is re-drilled and a new well casing installed, General Manager Terry Lyons plans to install a new pump at a cost of about $7,500. Previously, this backup well, which was originally drilled in 1990, could provide the district with 55 gallons per minute.
“This is a good location for a well, which is why I recommend the repair,” Lyons advised the board.
The board reviewed and tabled until the May regular meeting adoption of a job description for a new position of district financial officer. IWD currently has an auditor and controller position and the job description has not been modified in 16 years, according to Lyons.
Director John Cook expressed the need for greater financial planning moving forward. “These are unusual financial times and maybe permanent,” he said. “What transpired in the past may not be what to expect.”
For example, he pointed out that the district is selling less water now than in the previous drought years.
Director Warren Monroe suggested the board consider two positions, a financial officer and a bookkeeper so that “more than one set of eyes reviews the finances.”
The board did approve funds for their auditor, Rogers, Anderson, Malody and Scott, LLP of San Bernardino, to conduct an examination of its current financial condition.
The firm will provide a statement of net assets, revenues, expenses and changes to net assets and cash flows for the nine months from July 1, 2011 through March 31, 2012. The 2011 audit completed this fall did not indicate any problems.
