At last week’s Fern Valley Water District board meeting, General Manager Victor Jimenez reported that water conditions were

stable. While creek flow has declined in October, he relied on wells for a larger portion of the district’s water source.

“The well levels have moved very little, which is great,” Jimenez said. “There is no [water] issue. Everything is moving very smoothly.”

President James Rees asked if the water resources would remain stable if the drought were to continue into the summer of 2017.

“We’re in good shape,” Jimenez replied. “If the creek were to dry up, we would use our wells more. But we’re only using a fraction of our well water. If we were to use the wells more, it will be more expensive to produce water because of the pumping costs.”

In October, the wells supplied about 43 percent of the water, which is about 2.5 percent more than last year.

During the September and October billing period, FVWD customers used 5.9 million gallons, which is 4.7 percent greater than the 5.6 million used during September and October 2015.

The consumption this period is about 33 percent less than in the July and August billing period. Jimenez attributed the reduction to lower temperatures and less irrigation in the district.

Since January, Fern Valley consumption has been 28.3 million gallons, which is 2 million gallons or 7.7 percent more than the first eight months of 2015.

Compared to 2015, water production in 2016 has increased in all three Hill water districts. Idyllwild Water District has had a 10.5 percent increase, but still less consumption than in 2014 or 2013.

Pine Cove Water customers have used 27.3 million gallons, which is about 370,000 more gallons or 1.4 percent more than last year, but also less than the two prior years.

A serious injury collision on Saturday, Nov. 19, sent one local woman to the hospital. The California Highway Patrol’s preliminary report stated that at 5:05 p.m., Edwin Hansen, 66, of Idyllwild, was driving his 2006 red Honda CRV eastbound on North Circle Drive in Idyllwild, just east of River Road, when he struck “a pedestrian,” Cynthia Hinds, 56, of Idyllwild.

Hinds suffered serious injuries. According to son Kurt Jones, injuries included a fractured pelvis, bruised adrenal gland and possible liver damage. After the incident, Hinds was transported by Mercy Air to Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs.

Hinds and husband Rick had bought and just completed renovating Strawberry Creek Village vacation rentals at the corner of North Circle and River Road. The Hinds, recently relocated from the Bay Area, had scheduled a formal Open House on Sunday, Nov. 27, but that has been cancelled because of the incident. Hinds’ recovery may take significant time.

What is unclear as of this writing is Hinds’ location at the time of the incident. According to family and Hinds herself, she was on her property, about 10 feet from the roadway adjusting a Malibu light that was illuminating a recently placed sculpture. The CHP report notes she was a pedestrian but the report is not clear as to her exact location.

CHP Public Information Officer Darren Meyer said the investigation is ongoing.

Several witnesses across the street from the incident also said it appeared to them that Hinds was not on the street but on her property.

Hansen said he can’t remember what happened — that he didn’t see anyone and only knew he had hit someone when he heard screaming.

Meyer said it might take eight to 10 days to complete the investigation.

In other on-Hill collisions, at 5:15 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, Shelly Alcala, 53, of Idyllwild, was driving her 2016 black Ford Fusion northbound on Highway 243, 1 mile north of Mt. Etna Road when she made an unsafe turning movement and collided head on with a 2006 tan Toyota Highlander driven by Julian Muller, 32, of Boulder, Colorado. Muller had been driving southbound on Highway 243 at the time of the collision.

Alcala was cited for driving under the influence (alcohol). Although there was major damage to both vehicles, no one was injured in the crash and no other vehicles were involved.

An off-Hill fatality collision involved Idyllwild Arts alum, Arthur Pembrook, 20, of Sky Valley. Pembrook was discovered in his vehicle, a 2000 silver Ford Taurus, on Saturday, Nov. 19, near the intersection of Dillon Road and Long Canyon Road in Desert Hot Springs. According to the CHP report, Pembrook’s vehicle left the roadway and hit a tree either on the night of Thursday, Nov. 17, or the early morning of Nov. 18. Pembrook was killed in the crash.

Pembrook was remembered as a talented actor and engaging personality on numerous Facebook posts.

Correction: An earlier version of the story incorrectly gave her Cindi Hinds' sons name as Kurt Hinds.

In the middle of September, two Idyllwild Water District directors unexpectedly resigned but Acting Board President John Cook asserted that the vacancies would remain unfilled until a special election was called, no earlier than March.

Whoever won that election would have to be re-elected for a full term in August.

After the meeting ended abruptly and in chaos, the board had not met until Wednesday evening, Nov. 16. A week earlier, a Town Crier Candidates Forum was held for prospective directors. Four local residents — Geoffrey Caine, David Hunt, Dr. Charles Schelly and Vic Sirkin — stood up and explained their views and reasons for wanting to serve on the board. Cook was not present.

As IWD’s November meeting began, Caine addressed the three remaining IWD directors and requested they defer any actions until the December meeting. He said that 3rd District Supervisor Chuck Washington, who, with his board of supervisors colleagues, has the authority to appoint board replacements after 60 days, was planning to interview the four candidates later this month.

“Four people are being considered for appointment to the board,” Caine stated. “Interviews are Nov. 22 and an appointment might be Dec. 6. At the meeting in December, there would be a full board. Please table all motions until you have a full board.”

Since a formal appointment might be only a few weeks in the future and the IWD board has failed to meet since September, the short delay would allow a full board to address current management and other issues.

While the board did not postpone all the actions, it appeared that Cook had accepted that the two vacancies would be filled through the supervisors. He agreed with his two colleagues to hold a special meeting to interview interim general manager candidates on Dec. 9, after the date the supervisors might act.

However, later in the meeting, he expressed annoyance that another issue was being deferred until a full board was available. He argued that the positions would remain unfilled until March or April when he would call a special election.

This brought a collective gasp from the audience, who clearly reacted negatively. They want the board filled and taking actions necessary to keep the district functioning, such as hiring a general manager and seeking additional water resources.

Several stories in the Town Crier about former General Manager Tom Lynch’s assertion that a state water certificate for him was pending seemed to precipitate the resignation of Jim Billman, board president, and Mike Freitas. The former’s resignation was part of Lynch’s resignation note to Cook. These directors, along with Cook, had required Lynch to obtain the permit shortly after hiring him, but had never verified whether he accomplished it.

The State Water Resources Control Board has said several times Lynch failed the exam three times.

The Idyllwild Water District board met Wednesday evening and finished the meeting before adjourning, even taking some actions. Two vacant board seats were not sufficient to prevent the three current directors from transacting some business, although many items were deferred or tabled until the regular December meeting.

The hiring of an interim general manager was one item that may occur before that meeting. The three directors requested Hosny Shouman, chief financial officer, to advertise for an interim or part-time general manager. Next they agreed to a special meeting on Dec. 9 to interview possible candidates.

Shouman has been collecting general manager applications and said already three people have expressed interest in the interim position.

The Dec. 9 date was acceptable to directors Steve Kunkle and June Rockwell because they hope 3rd District Supv. Chuck Washington will have appointed two people to fill the board vacancies. Therefore, a full board could make the selection.

The other issue, to which the three could concur, was a request from a customer whose property was disturbed because of a pipeline leak. The plans for new pipeline in the area would also affect the same property, so the board had Shouman contact the individual to negotiate an agreement. The customer wanted an explanation of the time frame and agreement to repair the driveway surface after work was done.

Four other items were deferred for future meetings, at which Kunkle and Rockwell hope there will be five directors present. The first was authorizing Shouman to hire engineering and wastewater employees.

Cook felt that the work and reports were more technical and outside Shouman’s bailiwick, and recommended hiring the new staff.

“We don’t have a GM and need to keep things moving,” he argued. “We need to keep the well rehabilitation moving so let’s hire an engineer.”

Rockwell expressed disagreement that it had to be done in the next few weeks. Cook failed to mention that the grant for the work had been approved in the summer of 2015 and the district has yet to take any action. Waiting until a full board was able to address the issue would not be critical, she countered.

Kunkle agreed with Cook, but Cook at the last meeting argued that a majority of a quorum was insufficient to make decisions. His opinion is that unanimity on actions was necessary. As a result, the 2-1 vote prevented the hiring of part-time help.

The other three agenda items — negotiating a new mutual-aid agreement with Fern Valley and Pine Cove water districts, hiring a recruiting consultant, and deciding on bids for the pipeline replacement project — were all deferred.

For the first four months of fiscal 2016-17, IWD’s production has been 68.9 million gallons, which is nearly 6 million or 10 percent greater than in 2015.

One result was water sales revenues were 15 percent higher this month than in October 2015.

The 2015-16 audit report was presented to the board. Scott Manno of Rogers, Anderson, Malody & Scott of San Bernardino presented the completed audit. “We issued an unmodified opinion, which is the highest we can express,” he said.

The district’s financial condition has been improving for the past four to five years, according to Manno. “With infrastructure yet to be replaced, you can decide between debt or annual revenue.”

At the end of the last fiscal year, IWD had more than $3 million cash available, although a portion, less than 15 percent, is restricted. IWD has no long-term debt.