IWD

The November 20 meeting of the Board of Directors of Idyllwild Water District included the presentation of the audit of the financial year ending June 30, 2024, the acceptance of the environmental report for the Strawberry Creek Diversion project, and a special recognition of Office Manager Tyla Wheeler. The Board also discussed the results of the recent election for Directors.

Evelyn Morentin-Barcena, a manager from the auditing firm, went over the audit, explained the “clean” or “unmodified” opinion the district received, and answered President Charles Schelly’s questions about changing signatories on the district’s checking account, including the possibility of adding CFO Hosny Shouman to the list of signers. CFO Hosny Shouman noted that he has never signed checks. Morentin-Barcena told the Board that in small districts, many duties tend to be performed by each member, but it is good practice to maintain what separation of powers there is, and best to keep Shouman off the list.

During later discussion, Schelly noted that the district had used the same auditors for several years, Rogers, Anderson, Malody and Scott, and said that it is “good practice to change” firms occasionally. Director Steve Olson added that putting out a RFP (Request For Proposal) may also bring a better price for the service.

GM Bill Rojas’ Operations Report began with a discussion of the status of the Wast Water Treatment Plant rehabilitation project. Board members quizzed him on the quality of the initial 30% on engineering prepared by SUSP, (Specialized Utilities Services Program.) Rojas reported that although he had recorded many comments from his SCADA (Supervisory Command and Data Acquisition) expert and the two employees that operate the plant, Fritz Wuttke and Danny Campbell, the requested changes would be easily made and are mostly to increase automation. He and his team are, he said, “happy with the design” which will “fit the needs of the district.”

The next question the board will face on the project is the choice of a contractor to finish the plans. Rojas said he would put out an RFP, and both SUSP and Dudek, the firm hired to assist in the review of the initial engineering, would be able to bid.

There was a brief public hearing regarding the Board’s adoption of the Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Strawberry Creek Diversion Project. The planning company, Terra Nova, reported that any environmental impact will be minimal and easily mitigated. The existing structure is 8’ by 15’, and the proposed replacement 8’ by 12’. The project also includes several hundred feet of pipeline to connect it to the recently completed Jameson pipeline project. The Board accepted the declaration.

Also on the agenda for the meeting was Employee Recognition for Office Manager Tyla Wheeler. The GM specifically praised her leadership in preparing the district’s new state-required lead and copper survey. Many districts, Rojas said, have not met the benchmarks this year, but Idyllwild Water has examined the service lines of over 300 customers, finding no lead or copper. Shouman also noted Wheeler’s continual work “above and beyond” and expressed appreciation for her contribution to the District. For her part, Wheeler recalled that it had been a “heck of a year,” called the Board’s performance “phenomenal,” and expressed pride in being part of the IWD team.

Wheeler was also sworn in as the Secretary of the Board. Like many Boards, the secretary does not need to be an elected, voting member.

On the matter of swearing in Priefer, Schelly said that although the Board could hold a special meeting as early as December 5, she would be sworn in at the regular December 18 meeting. Schelly offered Priefer his congratulations, saying her vote total was the highest he had seen in the district’s elections.

Outgoing director Peter Szabadi said that he had enjoyed his time on the Board and felt that they had accomplished a great deal. Schelly acknowledged the “sparring” he and Szabadi had engaged in, adding that “generally, we eventually agreed.”

The resignation of director Steve Kunkle leaves the Board once more with a vacancy. President Schelly laid out last month what he then thought the most likely scenario: that voters would know about Kunkle’s resignation, and so the other candidates would get more votes. But Kunkle still received more votes than Szabadi, and now the Board must declare a vacancy, accept applications for 60 days, and then choose a new member. Earlier this year, the evenly split four-member Board was unable to decide between two applicants, Priefer and Mitch Davis. Davis was finally appointed when he was the only candidate to file with the registrar of voters in a timely fashion.

The GM’s operation report included a leak in the new raw water pipeline laid beneath Pine Crest near North Circle. IWD dug up the fresh work and found a loose restraining joint. The contractor, ELCO, returned and completed the repair and resurfacing. ELCO, who do pipeline work for both Fern Valley and Idyllwild water districts, have finished their work on the Hill for this year.

The back access road to the Foster Lake facilities is once more passable for vehicles. Several years of big storms wiped out the dirt road, exposing the pipes that bring water to the lake from horizontal wells. Rojas said that a meter would soon be installed on this input, as the “free” water, unlike the water pumped from vertical wells, has not previously been measured. The system of weirs and culverts that protect the road from storm water has been dug out, and staff will have to continue to do this type of work between storms. More work is planned, and Rojas is looking into a concrete culvert to make the fix more permanent.

The meeting was recessed, and then went into closed session to evaluate the performance of the General Manager Rojas. Schelly texted that no action was taken, but that the Board was “very pleased with the GM’s performance.”

The next meeting will be Wednesday, December 18.