IWD awards students for water posters/essays

By David Jerome
Correspondent

The Idyllwild Water District (IWD) Board of Directors met Wednesday, Nov. 15, for short but joyous session. Director Steve Kunkle was absent.

The room was unusually animated, as parents and children attended to hear the board recognize winners of IWD’s Idyllwild School Water Scholarship contest. Prizes were awarded for posters and essays encouraging water conservation.

First place winners received $450, and second place $300. The essay winners were two seventh graders, Alana Cavaletta, first place, and Lennon Aramburo, second. The poster winners were ninth grader Elizabeth Flores, first place, and seventh grader Scarlet Nowlin, second. (See page B6)

Chief Financial Officer Hosny Shouman was on vacation, so the financial report for October will be considered next month.

General Manager (GM) Leo Havener’s report was brief as he had lost his voice. Water production was slightly above average, as was wastewater, both signs of an unusual amount of groundwater. The board was happy to hear that water loss in October was 2%, a low figure Havener attributed partly to the repair of a leak at Foster Lake well #4. He noted that the repair of the roof at the wastewater treatment plant, damaged by tropical storm Hillary, was completed. Photos show the new metal roof in place. He thanked the board for authorizing this work on an emergency basis at the last meeting.

Havener continues to do work requested by the board to develop a more data-driven water policy, the triggers for conservation levels. The district is “in the queue for videos of the wells.” The lack of detailed assays for the wells has been a sore point in past meetings and an obstacle to meaningful discussion.

The GM has met with two local builders to discuss the repair of the long-unusable, water-damaged lower office building. Sean Townsend and Buddy Beagle are both discussing the work required, which extends to the foundation. Director Steve Olson said the board will be able to talk about the issue more next month.

Director Peter Szabadi requested updates on a number of ongoing tasks. He asked for the status of the Strawberry agreement, a land deal that has been discussed in closed sessions and that relates to the Strawberry Creek groundwater catchment. Legal Counsel Ryan Guiboa, participating by Zoom, said there were no obstacles; the final documents and exhibits are complete and ready for signatures. “We should certainly have this executed within the next couple of weeks.”

Another land deal Szabadi asked about was the “status of the lot split for the sewer plant.” Havener said this is all done; waiting for the county to sign off. Also regarding the sewer plant project, Szabadi asked if the experts had done the necessary geologic testing. Havener said the firm had been up here to evaluate how and where the tests will be performed, but have not scheduled the actual work yet. As to the status of the initial 30% of engineering, necessary for grant applications, and quoted in August as requiring four more months, Havener did not have an update. Szabadi asked him to “remind them of the obligations that they have.”

During public comments, Steve Moulton brought up the irregularity of billing from SCE for electricity. As Olson put it, “We pay it when we get billed.” There is no pattern to that billing and this makes monthly financial statements more difficult to understand. For now, this remains an unsolved mystery. President Charles Schelly vowed to “continue to try to get it billed more regularly, but we’ve been frustrated in the past.”

Member of the public, and candidate for the open board seat, Mitch Davis, asked about hydrants that are out of service — one at Cedar and River and another on Oakwood have been dry for at least a month, he said. Havener noted that crews did a lot of maintenance on hydrants early in the year, and promised to find out if those hydrants were awaiting parts.

Havener will be on vacation Nov. 27 to Dec 8. The next board meeting is scheduled for Dec. 20.