Regular Board Meeting Minutes – Thursday, Apr 27, 2023

PINE–STRAWBERRY WATER IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT

Regular Meeting

Thursday April 27, 2023, 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 4:00 p.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: Cory Ellsworth, Sharon Hillman, George Gorkowski, Roger Childers, Steve Bowen, Victor Tayao, and Larry Bagshaw. A quorum was present. Paul Hendricks, EUSI, was also present. Steve Wene, the district’s attorney, was present via Go to Meeting.
    
• 5. CALL FOR MOTION TO APPROVE MINUTES OF THE FOLLOWING MEETING(S):
  • March 23, 2023 – Regular Meeting.
  • April 13, 2023 – Special Session
  • April 20, 2023 – Study Session
  • Sharon Hillman moved the minutes be approved. Steve Bowen 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. Treasurer’s Report – As posted to the website.
    
  • c. Secretary’s report – As posted to the website.
    
  • d. Vice Chairman’s report – As posted to the website.
    
  • e. District Attorney’s Report –Steve Wene reported that he had dealt with three legal issues. One was a demand letter for water damage to a residence, another was customer and community issues that a committee is being formed to address, and the third was USDA project issues. He remarked that due to Sharon Hillman’s and the staff’s work, they had saved the district over $10,000 in legal fees on the USDA contracts.
  • f. Chairman’s report – Cory Ellsworth reported that the board is trying to improve communication with the customers and focusing on transparency on board decisions. The board is taking allegations of any wrongdoing seriously and is looking into them.
• 7. COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC
  • Terry Vesci asked that the district consider moving a meter that is not being used from a property
    of theirs that has a well to a property across the street so they can put a double wide home on it.
  • Elsa Steffanson wanted to make the public aware that Everbridge changed to Ready Gila and that not all the people enrolled on Everbridge got their information transferred over. She also emphasized being Firewise and told people to contact her with questions.
    
• 8. OLD BUSINESS
  • a. DISCUSS AND TAKE POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING ACCEPTING RAYMOND HEADINGS RESIGNATION AS OF MARCH 24, 2023. Cory Ellsworth. Larry Bagshaw moved the board accept Raymond Headings resignation. Steve Bowen seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously.
  • b. DISCUSS AND TAKE POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING CHANGES TO THE RULES AND REGULATIONS. Kristie Allen. The changes in the rules and regulations are mainly changing the words “general manager” to “manager”. It does not change the job description. Sharon Hillman moved that the listed changes in the Rules & Regulations be approved, and the chairman and secretary be authorized to sign the document for publication to the website.
    Larry Bagshaw seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously.
    
• 9. NEW BUSINESS
  • I. DISCUSS AND TAKE POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING APPROVING THE AWARD OF THE WHITE OAK/CEDAR MEADOW PROJECT TO MOUNTAIN HIGHT EXCAVATING IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,109,433.00. Sharon Hillman. The White Oak/Cedar Meadow waterline replacement project received two bids with Mountain High Excavating being the lowest bidder at $1,109,433. USDA approved the bid. George Gorkowski moved that the board approved the
    notice of award, contract for the Chairman’s signature with the notice to proceed (at a date to be determined) for signature to Mountain High Excavating in the amount of $1,109,433. Steve Bowen seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously.
  • II. DISCUSS AND TAKE POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING APPROVING THE PURCHASE OF A NEW 2024 SILVERADO 2500 CREW CAB 4WD FOR THE FIELD TO REPLACE THE 2007 CHEVY. Sharon Hillman. The district has two vehicles that have reached the end of service and need to be replaced. We got a quote from Chapman Chevrolet for a 2024 Silverado for just under $60,000 and one from Earnhardt Ford for a new 2022 F3250 for $42,549.88. She recommended the district purchase both trucks which are within the remaining budget. Sharon Hillman moved that the district purchase both trucks. Steve Bowen seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously.
    
  • III. DISCUSS AND TAKE POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING COMMUNITY RELATIONS AND ESTABLISHING A COMMITTEE. Cory Ellsworth/Victor Tayao. To improve communication between the board and the community, the board would like to establish a community relations committee. First it would like to be able to deal with the current issues, come up with a list of FAQs to post to the website and make the blue comment cards available online, so they can be submitted earlier than at the meeting. Cory Ellsworth appointed Victor Tayao to be the chairman. The people attending the meeting were asked if they would be interested in volunteering for the committee. Volunteers were Larry Swanson, Elsa Steffanson, Beth Pierson, Milo LeBaron, and Rebecca Rains.
    
  • IV. DISCUSS AND REVIEW THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR FY2024. Kristie Allen/Sharon Hillman. Kristi
    worked on the new budget and used the district’s first 9 months of revenue and expenses annualized to 12 months. In addition, the 3% income increase and 3% increase in expenses per the approved Rate Study have been included. In addition, the budget includes the fees for releasing 60 meters over the next 12 months starting July 1, 2023, if the board approves. The budget also includes the second year required interest payment to WIFA for the design loan over the next three years at which time USDA will pay off the loan. The budget also includes the new remaining WIFA loan of $17,000,000 for the construction of the USDA projects. Interest for the loans has been included in the budget as well.
    
• 10. IDENTIFY POTENTIAL AGENDA ITEMS FOR THE NEXT SCHEDULED BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING ON MAY 25, 2023.
  • a. Proposed budget
  • b. Communications
• 11. ADJOURNMENT.
  • George Gorkowski moved the meeting be adjourned. Steve Bowen seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously.