The Pine Cove Water District (PCWD) held its regular board of directors meeting Wednesday, Jan. 10 with all directors present, although last month’s resignation of Diana Luther leaves an empty seat, one of the questions facing the board now. Other matters before the directors included a review of the first half of the financial year and a review of suggested changes in the employee manual to accommodate changes in state laws in the new year.

General Manager Jeremy Potter informed the board that the deed for the property formerly known as Pine Cove Park is in the district’s possession. The escrow was expedited and at a cost of $142,228, PCWD now owns the 19-acre parcel on which it presently has three wells. A downed tree has been removed. Signs forbidding trespassing and snow play have been installed in accordance with advice of legal counsel.

Board President Robert Hewitt brought up other liability issues; he noted that Riverside Mountain Rescue Unit uses the rocks in the area for training and asked that staff reach out to the sheriff’s office to make sure there is a process for notification when they wish access, and assurance that liability is assumed by the responsible agency. Hewitt also noted that a private contractor is training on the rocks, and this also will require similar notification and assurance.

The district’s monitoring well, static well #10, has finally begun to decline, down 1.85 feet last month. December water production was down considerably from December 2022; 2,198,596 gallons compared to 3,802,360.

Potter attributed last year’s higher use to a mix of landscape usage, due to the drought and the many leaks caused by burst pipes in December 2022. He noted that those leaks that do show up are now spotted the next day due to the new “smart” meters being installed.

Even small continuous flows from leaky toilets show up at the office and the information is shared with ratepayers. “Customers appreciate” the savings from stopping these in time, he said.

No update was given on the bankruptcy proceedings of Smart Earth Technology, the district’s vendor for the new meters and valves. All the hardware has been delivered and the only question is ongoing support for the software. Several companies have contacted PCWD offering their services.

Potter said work on well #6 will start this month. A video inspection showed the perforated sleeve clogged even at the top, so it will be scrubbed and a new pump and motor installed. The well is not needed now but adds to reserve production capacity.

The budget review covered the first half of fiscal year 2023-24 and compared it to the district’s $710,000 annual budget. Four small items had already exceeded their allotment by a total of $10,542, but overall, the directors found the figures acceptable. Income is on track at 50% of the estimated gross of $1,261,000. Some large expenses weighted the first quarter, like the Public Employees’ Retirement System “unfunded liability” payment, over $54,000, and so total expenditures at the midpoint were 63% of the annual budget.

Hewitt gave an update on the district’s lease with Comtronix, the Temecula business that rents space for its radio repeaters from PCWD. By May, it had fallen behind in its rent by over $12,000. It was called to account, and over six months that debt was paid. In light of this, and the fact that Comtronix serves first responders, Hewitt said he has changed his opinion and now believes the district should renegotiate the lease when it comes up for renewal in June but suggests a stipulation that payments must remain current. He asked that Director Lou Padula join him as an ad hoc committee to begin working on this.

The review of suggested changes in the district’s employee manual (only 28 pages long) was brief, most of the changes being slight. One interesting accommodation to new state law is the end of the prohibition of legal off-duty cannabis use, although showing up for work impaired or using on the job is still subject to discipline including termination, and the district still has the right to maintain a “drug and alcohol-free workplace.”

Office Manager Jennifer Hayes informed the directors about the process for filling the empty director’s seat; they must hold a special meeting within 60 days of the resignation, which only leaves them until Feb. 1. The directors agreed to meet again on Wednesday, Jan. 17 to consider the three applications they have received and choose a new interim member. That member will serve until Dec. 4, 2024, and then stand for reelection. The next regular meeting is 10 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 14.