I do not know if it is just me since I am a candidate running for one of the seats on the Idyllwild Water District Board, or do they treat all their customers the same way?

They have made it very difficult for me to review the water district documents under the California Public Records Act. I have only been allowed about one hour a week at their prescribed time. I have been told that the board room is “being used” the rest of the time. That means that of the 45 hours per week the IWD office is open, they are using the board room for 44 hours.

This past Friday, July 10, I went to the IWD office about 11:30 a.m. to deliver correspondence (with questions for the board members) to the GM to be included in the agenda for Wednesday’s meeting on the evening of July 15. The staff told me the GM was busy, so I was unable to deliver it to him directly.

Finally, after more than two hours trying to connect with the manager, he informed me that the agenda was full and my request would not be able to be included. I gave him the letters anyway telling him I hoped he would reconsider since the correspondence was delivered to him within the 72-hour window to put on the agenda.

The irony of this is that one of my questions addressed bringing more “transparency” to those in attendance at the regular board meetings. Recently, there had been a policy change where in the past, those in attendance received their own copy of the board packet to follow along. Now, a binder containing the board packet is passed around making it far more difficult to follow and understand. How can anyone address their concerns if they can’t look at the minutes, financial reports, warrants, operations report and work in progress, etc., while a binder is being passed around?

IWD posted its upcoming agenda and I was able to review it on Saturday, July 11. There was nothing unusual or time-consuming in the agenda, but my correspondence had not been included. This makes me wonder what is going on with this board. Are they concealing things they do not want us, their customers, to know about? I hope they change their agenda. I just wanted to ask our elected officials questions.

Steven Kunkle
Idyllwild

 

Political letters during election season are paid at 10 cents per word. No letters will be accepted the week before the Aug. 25 election. This year’s races include Idyllwild and Pine Cove water districts candidates.