IWD hears update on wastewater treatment plant

The Idyllwild Water District (IWD) Board of Directors held a special
session Tuesday, April 2. The two items on the agenda were discussion of
the status of the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) project, and
exposure to litigation, the latter a closed session conference with
legal counsel.

During public comments, ratepayer David Hunt spoke to “publicly commend
the interim GM [general manager]” Curt Sauer for his “nice work with the
Fire Department and the other two water districts,” adding that he was
doing things his predecessor did not do well. He went on to add, “Now
that a lot of the fires have been put out, I hope you guys are
considering posting the permanent general manager position soon, before
his three-month contract runs out. I would hate to see a lot of hiring
and firing going on from the interim GM, when really it would be better
for a permanent GM to do things like that, someone who is going to
stay…”

Last month Sauer discussed two experienced part-time hires, each here
one day a week to help with training, and the interviews for an open
operator in training position.

As the board began to discuss the progress of the WWTP, Director Steve
Kunkle suggested forming an ad hoc committee to communicate with the
firm doing the initial engineering, California Rural Water Association,
and “keep the board abreast.”

President Charles Schelly said this should be put on the next agenda as
a discussion item, and then voted on in the meeting after that. Schelly
said the board should be prepared to give instructions to an ad hoc
committee as it presses the engineers and “potential contractors” on
“bench marks and timelines,” and that an entire meeting should be
dedicated to this. “The longer we take to enter into agreements, the
more it is going to cost.” Schelly suggested the board decide what it is
willing to approve, so that the committee would not have to come back to
the full board repeatedly.

Vice President Peter Szabadi agreed that preparation will help
communication with the engineers, and that questions should be given in
advance to get better answers. He also brought up an idea he has spoken
of regularly: that the board is not required to complete the project
with the same firm that was hired to do the 30% preliminary engineering.
This benchmark allows applications for grants and loans to begin.

The argument against changing horses in midstream is that a new firm may
not accept all the initial work, meaning it may have to be done over,
with more delay and cost. Szabadi’s point has been that the present firm
should know that IWD has other options. Sauer said the California Rural
Water Association has told him that the 30% engineering would be
finished “maybe May, probably June.”

It was agreed that a special meeting would be appropriate and May 1 was
chosen. The regular meeting will happen Wednesday, April 17, and Sauer
will present a brief update at that meeting, and a fuller report for the
May 1 session.

Sauer informed the board that he had received one response from among
the 12 tribal authorities he had notified of the project. The tribal
consultation period allows indigenous groups to bring up any concerns
they may have, and closes April 13. Sauer said that at that time, he
would talk by phone with any interested groups, establish who their
contact person is, and find out their concerns.

He told the board that IWD has 30 days to respond, but would start that
process as quickly as possible, adding that tribes may have standard
“boilerplate” language ready, and may want to view the site. 

The agenda listed for the closed session “significant Exposure to
Litigation Govt Code§54956.9(d)(2).” This states as occasion for closed
session: “A point has been reached where, in the opinion of the
legislative body of the local agency on the advice of its legal counsel,
based on existing facts and circumstances, there is a significant
exposure to litigation against the local agency.”

The board and legal counsel Ryan Guiboa told the Crier there would be no
action to report from that session.

The next meeting is 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 17.