PSWID Regular Meeting Minutes – 2024-12-05

by | Dec 7, 2024 | Regular Meeting Minutes

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PINE-STRAWBERRY WATER IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT

Regular Meeting

Thursday December 5, 2024, at 4:00 p.m.

PSWID Administrative Office

6306 W Hardscrabble Rd.

Pine, AZ 85544

 

  • 1. CALL TO ORDER
    Cory Ellsworth called the meeting to order at 4:00p.m.
  • 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
    Conducted by Cory Ellsworth
  • 3. PRAYER
    Offered by Cory Ellsworth. 
  • 4. ROLL CALL OF BOARD MEMBERS
    Conducted by Cory Ellsworth: Board members present: Sharon Hillman, Cory Ellsworth, George Gorkowski, and Larry Bagshaw. Brent Pruett and Victor Tayao were present via Go to Meeting. A quorum was present.   The district’s attorney, Steve Wene, was present via phone.  Paul Hendricks, EUSI, and Steve Bowen, operations manager, and Kristi Allen, accountant, were also present.  Roger Childers arrived at 4:15
  • 5. CALL FOR MOTION TO APPROVE MINUTES OF THE FOLLOWING MEETING(S):
    October 24, 2024 –Regular Meeting. Sharon Hillman moved the minutes be approved.  George Gorkowski seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously.
    November 19, 2024 – Special Session. Sharon Hillman moved the minutes be approved. George Gorkowski seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously.
  • 6. REPORTS TO THE BOARD
    • a. WIFA/EUSI Program Manager’s Report– As posted to the website.
    • b. Field Operations Report – The backhoe was sold via the bid process to the highest bidder. A second meeting with the Pine Cove residents was held to update them on the water line project.
    • c. Treasurer’s Report – As posted to the website. There are funds to do a waterline replacement on Cemetery Road. The engineering is being done now with a start date in the spring of 2025.
    • d. Secretary’s report – Larry Bagshaw thanked the community for allowing him to serve on the board for the last 10 years.
    • e. Vice Chairman’s report – As posted to the web
    • f. District Attorney’s Report –Steve Wene reported that he was dealing with a billing dispute, and a request for a meter at the old rates.
    • g. Chairman’s report – Cory Ellsworth introduced the recently elected board members, Teresa Hasenwinkel, David Diggs, and Beth Pierson. He thanked Larry Bagshaw, George Gorkowski, and Victor Tayao for their service to the board.
  • 7. COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC – None
  • 8. BUSINESS Discussion and possible action regarding the following items:
    • I. DISCUSSION REGARDING CANCELLING THE DECEMBER 26TH MEETING. Already done during Nov. 19th meeting.
    • II. DISCUSSION REGARDING THE ELECTION OF BOARD MEMBERS, EXPIRING TERMS AND START OF NEW BOARD MEMBER TERMS. NEW BOARD MEMBERS SWORN IN DURING SPECIAL MEETING ON JANUARY 7,2025; MEETING CALLED TO ORDER AND ELECTION OF OFFICERS FOR 2025. ALSO, OPEN MEETING LAW TRAINING. The 2024 election was held on November 5, 2024, and 4 Board of Directors were elected to replace 4 existing Board members whose terms are ending December 31, 2024. The election results were certified by the Board of Supervisors at their meeting held on November 19, 2024, and submitted to the Arizona Secretary of State. Candidates will receive certificates from the BOS confirming their elections to the Board of Directors. The terms begin January 1, 2025, for 4 years, 2025 2026, 2027 and 2028. In the first scheduled meeting of the year on January 7, 2025, the new Board members will be sworn into office. The meeting will be called to order with all 7 Board members present. The election of officers for the calendar year 2025 will be the first order of business. Nominations will be submitted, and the Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer will be elected by the Board. The next order of business will be training by the district’s attorney, Steve Wene on the Arizona open meeting laws. Steve Wene also commented that the board as an elected district is not subject to by-laws and the ones existing are inconsistent with Arizona State Statutes and either should be changed or discarded.
    • III. DISCUSSION REGARDING THE EPA AND ADEQ REQUIREMENTS REGARDING THE LEAD AND COPPER LEGISLATION. The results of the survey of the district’s waterline connections has been completed and we now know which properties within the district need to be inspected for compliance with the Mandates. The district is required to have inspections done on the public and private services lines for confirmation that no lead or copper is contained in the connections on either side. The district will be securing funding from the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority to hire a contractor to complete the inspections over the next 3 years as required. There are 2257 properties that need to be inspected.
    • IV. DISCUSSION REGARDING WIFA APPLICATION FOR FUNDING FOR THE COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS OF EPA AND ADEQ REGARDING PROPERTY INSPECTIONS. The districts properties were surveyed by an engineering firm provided by ADEQ. Due to the results of the survey, the district is required to have inspections done on public and private service lines for confirmation that there are no lead or copper service lines. The district will be securing funds from the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority to pay for the inspections provided by a contractor. Because this project is for compliance with EPA and ADEQ, WIFA has indicated they have higher amounts of forgivable principal. Forgivable principal is the amount determined by WIFA to not be paid back on the loan. However, the amounts are not known until the funding has gone through the entire process and is ready to be approved by the WIFA Board, the WIFA Finance Board and the District’s Board of Directors. The requested funding amount is an estimate based on the costs provided by Metering Services lnc.’s contract with the City of Prescott, AZ which we can use. It is estimated that it will cost approximately $800,000 to inspect the 2257 properties. Sharon Hillman moved that the board approve the application to WIFA in the amount of $800,000 to secure funding for the Lead & Copper mandated inspections of public and private service lines within the district and authorize the Treasurer to submit the application to begin the funding process. George Gorkowski seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously.
  • 9. IDENTIFY POTENTIAL AGENDA ITEMS FOR THE NEXT SCHEDULED BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING ON JANUARY 23, 2025.
    • Meeting on January 7 to swear in the new board members, elect the board officers, and have open meeting law training.
  • 10. MOTION TO ADJOURN Sharon Hillman moved the meeting be adjourned. Cory Ellsworth seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously.