The traditional late August special district election of fire commissioners may change in a few years. Idyllwild Fire Protection District President Jerry Buchanan asked his colleagues to consider a proposal to shift IFPD’s future elections to November general election ballots.

“It would give a better opportunity for more people to vote,” Buchanan said. “August is a typical vacation time.”

The November elections in even-numbered years alternate between presidential and gubernatorial elections, which have traditionally generated greater turnout than the late-summer mail-in elections.

Even though state and county turnout was historically low for the 2014 election, 63 percent of Idyllwild registered voters went to the polls in November. A total of 965 ballots were cast in the Idyllwild precinct four months ago compared to the about 591 in IFPD’s 2013 election.

The average number of Idyllwild registered voters casting ballots in the four general elections since 2008 was 1,310 compared to an average of 652 ballots cast in the past four IFPD elections.

The actual cost to conduct the election, about $4,000, would not change. The district will have to pay about $800 for a one-time notice to voters of the change in the election procedures, according to Buchanan.

The Riverside County Board of Supervisors must approve the change before it is implemented, Buchanan said. Also, it would not change the election scheduled for this summer, August 2015. The first election for which it would apply would be the commissioners whose terms are to end in December 2017.

Commissioners Rhonda Andrewson, Jeannine Charles-Stigall and Nancy Layton were all elected for four-year terms in August 2013. If the election were moved to a general election, their terms would be extended until December 2018, an additional year, Buchanan added.

The three-month period between the August election and the term beginning in December was Buchanan’s second argument in favor the change. He felt this was a long time to wait until being sworn into office.

In financial business, the commission received its first actuarial study of current and future retiree health-care costs. These type of studies are now required for all government levels, pursuant to the General Accounting Standards board.

If all the current employees continue their careers with IFPD until retirement and live an expected life span, IFPD’s estimated total cost for retiree benefits will be about $646,000. The consultant, Total Compensation Systems Inc., estimates the annual cost would be about $40,000.

To amortize the total unfunded liability for retiree benefits (excluding pensions which IFPD funds through CALPERS), IFPD would have to set aside about $46,000 annually, according to the study.

Fire Chief Patrick Reitz said the study’s results would be incorporated into the district’s 2013-14 audit, which he expects to be available at the March meeting.

“It gives us a base to start from and does give us more information if we want to refinance,” he told the commission.

In other finance matters, the commission agreed to review the current year budget and make any needed adjustments next month, too.

The commission approved the appointment of Calvin Gogerty to the district’s Finance Committee. Gogerty was formerly the alternate citizen member of the committee. An application for the alternate position will be available on the district’s website, idyllwildfire.com.

The commission also reviewed the fire ambulance report for January. Andrewson again expressed some concern about the number of reported false alarms.

Reitz explained that limitations on the reporting system result in an over-reporting of the number of false alarms. In many cases, he said, “No one is in violation. It’s regular ringing but for a valid reason.” As an example, Reitz described a local establishment where the wind changed and brought some smoke in through another entrance activating the alarm, although there was neither fire nor smoke from burning material.

Stage 3 water emergency is imminent depending upon how much rain and snow arrived last weekend, according to Idyllwild Water General Manager Tom Lynch.

“We are in Stage 2. However, we meet the criteria level for Stage 3,” Lynch told IWD directors last week. “We are evaluating day-to-day.”

Two important criteria for declaring Stage 3 have been met. The groundwater levels for the Foster Lake wells recently fell to 50 feet and the downtown wells are below the 20-foot depth criterion.

“We’ll try to hold off declaration of Stage 3 until we see what the next storm does,” Lynch told the board at its Feb. 25 meeting. On Monday, March 2, he said the staff was to evaluate well levels this week to determine how beneficial this storm may have been.

While fresh precipitation will not be immediately salutary because of the time it will take to percolate from the surface to the wells, it will be a sign that well levels will improve. Even the multiple inches of rain Sunday and Monday a week ago had minimal effect on Foster Lake’s level.

“The rain has done little to impact the condition at the lake,” Lynch said then. “There’s a large puddle which continually evaporates in the warmer weather.”

Director Mike Freitas encouraged Lynch to move on a declaration soon since immediate rainfall will still take months before any positive effect is apparent.

However, Lynch agreed that a decision would likely be soon and expects the issue to be on the agenda for the March meeting.

In last week’s Field Poll, nearly 95 percent of registered voters believe the water shortage is serious or extremely serious. From a year ago, the percentage of respondents who feel the water shortage is not serious has fallen from 10 to 5 percent.

Most voters prefer voluntary reductions rather than mandatory water rationing, according to the Field Poll. Southern California (excluding Los Angeles County) was the area most strongly in support of voluntary compliance.

The drought and lower wells levels also are costing IWD money. Not only are revenues falling as customers strive to conserve water, but expenses increase because it requires more electricity to pump the deeper wells. Through January, IWD’s net water income is about $150,000.

In addition to nature’s help from precipitation, Lynch told the board that two recent projects — refurbishing the Oakwood well and re-opening the horizontal and vertical wells above Foster Lake — are awaiting state approval to be incorporated into IWD’s distribution system.

“I’m hoping with these we’ll restore the water table near the lake,” he added.

In January, IWD customers used 6.3 million gallons of water, which was 68,700 gallons less than in January 2014.

In non-water business, the board approved two contracts. One will replace the current 45-kilowatt failed inverter, which failed this fall with a series of three smaller inverters. This equipment converts the DC power generated from the solar panels to AC or alternating current at the district’s solar facility. The project’s cost is expected to be about $25,000, and, with the greater efficiency and power produced, it should have a payback of three years, according to Lynch.

The second contract would evaluate IWD’s waste-treatment system, particularly its ability to provide service to the proposed brew pub in town. This contract will cost about $10,000 and the owners of the proposed pub will share the costs.

“The results of the study don’t constitute any obligation on the district,” affirmed IWD Board President Jim Billman. “This research is at their request and whether we can handle any discharge.”

Lynch agreed that the need for the study arose from the owners’ inquiry about access to the district’s sewer system.

“It’s what we’re capable of taking and evaluating adjustments as a result of bringing the brewery into the system,” Lynch stated.

He stressed that the pub has alternatives for handling its waste besides through the district’s wastewater. “They can handle their waste through pre-treatment or nothing into our system and trucking it off the Hill,” he added.