AUGUST 2024 MEETING MINUTES
Thursday, August 15th, 2024, 6:00 PM
Olga Community Center
1. Call to Order: 6:05 PM
a. Attendees:
i. OWUI Board Members, present:
1. Geoff Cunard, President
2. Dave Noneman, Vice President
3. Pat Boehm, Director of Operations
4. Guy Woods, Treasurer
b. OWUI Members, present:
i. Mark Mayer
c. Sue Min on behalf of Administration, present.
d. Sam Prado on behalf of Operator Eastsound Water Users Association (EWUA), absent –
no report received in advance of meeting.
2. Approval of Minutes:
a. OWUI Vice President Dave moved to approve July 2024 meeting minutes. OWUI Director of Operations Pat seconded. All voted in favor. July meeting minutes were approved.
3. OWUI President’s Report:
As OWUI President, Geoff presented the following:
a. Intertie Update:
i. In trying to commission the pipeline, some leaks were found. Both Earthworks and Island Excavating are working now to find these leaks in the pipeline. These leaks are holding up the intertie at this time.
ii. OWUI Board discussed whether this work would be billed to OWUI, as OWUI had not expressly asked for or authorized this work to be done. OWUI President Geoff noted to the OWUI Board that, per Steve Schaefer of Doe Bay Water Users Association (DBWUA), both Earthworks and Island Excavating were doing this work as warranty work.
b. Amended Water Supply Agreement:
i. DBWUA’s attorney, Bill Bender, sent a proposed Amended Water Supply Agreement between DBWUA and requested that OWUI Board make a Board Resolution documenting that the Amended Water Supply Agreement has been agreed upon by OWUI Board and that OWUI Board will sign it.
ii. OWUI President Geoff noted that the proposed agreement had already been reviewed by OWUI’s water rights attorney Tom Pors; all of Tom Pors’ suggested changes were accepted by DBWUA.
iii. OWUI President Geoff’s primary concern was in relation to whether the proposed agreement would maintain OWUI’s water rights and allow the rights to be moved to the Mountain Lake dam; in reviewing the water rights, OWUI attorney Tom Pors was comfortable.
iv. OWUI Vice President Dave moved to agree to the proposed Amended Water Supply Agreement, noting that the previous agreement before this proposed agreement was not as protective and advising that this proposed agreement should be signed in good faith.
v. OWUI Vice President Dave clarified the new proposed agreement by summarizing the following:
1. When everything is done and DBWUA’s water is received for one year and it is agreed that things are working, then OWUI will mothball its plant and OWUI will put its plant in an inoperable state on a standby status.
vi. OWUI President Geoff added that there was also language in the proposed agreement that after one year period if things are working, then OWUI will apply to transfer its water rights up to Mountain Lake, which was specifically suggested by OWUI water rights attorney Tom Pors on how OWUI could best keep its water rights.
vii. OWUI Vice President Dave expressed interest to move OWUI’s point of collection as Mountain Lake or downstream to retain the ability to take it from where OWUI has it currently. OWUI Director of Operations was in agreement with Dave.
viii. OWUI Vice President Dave also expressed interest in moving forward with DBWUA, as the hurdle of a functioning intertie would be down the road. OWUI Vice President Dave noted that OWUI would work on the verbiage for the point of collection over the year with OWUI attorney Tom Pors.
ix. OWUI Treasurer Guy seconded OWUI Vice President Dave’s motion to agree to DBWUA’s proposed Amended Water Supply Agreement; all voted in favor agreeing to DBWUA’s proposed Amended Water Supply Agreement, empowering OWUI President Geoff to sign on behalf of OWUI.
x. Regarding the actual Board Resolution requested by DBWUA’s attorney Bill Bender, OWUI President Geoff agreed to contact Bill Bender to request the written language of the Board Resolution for OWUI President to sign.
c. SWSMP Update
i. Consultant Barry Buchanan expects to be submitting DBWUA’s SWSMP soon.
ii. Consultant Barry Buchanan needed information about the date when the water tank was created. Tank was built in 1979 as confirmed by Mount Baker Silo and other members – this was relayed to Consultant Barry Buchanan.
iii. Consultant Barry Buchanan continues to work on a section of the SWSMP. Department of Health has not yet provided the official response.
iv. Consultant Barry Buchanan wants to meet in person with OWUI President Geoff at the end of August or early September to go over more details.
d. Board Member Search
i. After looking to other possible Board Members, OWUI President Geoff has not yet found an OWUI member who wants to sign up for the Board.
ii. OWUI Vice President Dave offered to draft an outreach letter to OWUI membership to seek new Board Members to at least replace former Board Member Paul Groeninger who left after completing his term. Vice President Dave to circulate the draft to the OWUI Board.
e. Multiple Service Line (MSL) Policy / Member Education
i. OWUI President Geoff spoke with EWUA Operator Sam regarding water production that reflected a spike in production in mid-June. There was a massive water leak in relation to an MSL that OWUI President Geoff decided needed to be addressed with a letter to remind members of their responsibilities under the existing OWUI policies in the upkeep of the water line.
ii. OWUI Board generally discussed whether members should be advised or incentivized to buy and install additional water usage monitoring devices to prevent or mitigate leak.
iii. With the massive water leak the mid-June MSL, OWUI Board discussed potential draft water usage bill to members affected by the leak that would bill members for the high water usage but offer to reduce the billed amount if members would install and show proof of water monitoring device installation such as a flume.
iv. OWUI Vice President Dave Noneman to also draft this potential incentivized bill to members.
4. OWUI Administrator’s Report
a. Sue presented the following on behalf of Administration:
i. Member Billing / Receivables:
1. Outstanding Member Accounts: 8 Member IDs still owe OWUI payment, amounting to roughly $17,555 outstanding billing to collect.
a. Admin to review application of “credits” to membership billing as authorized by OWUI President Geoff.
2. 2024 Receivables to date: around $224,931.
3. Admin is working Jazmin regarding bookkeeping for WA Dept. of Revenue reporting purposes and overall accounting efficiencies.
ii. Admin Meeting and Availability:
1. Will meet up with EWUA Grace to learn more about EWUA’s meter reading process.
2. Admin availability will be very limited over the next two weeks of August and the first two weeks of September.
iii. Future Admin Projects will continue to involve and support through the year-end:
1. File management and digital archiving
2. Data maintenance and billing creation
3. Dashboards for Board, Operations and Admin
5. Treasurer/Financial Report
a. As Treasurer, Guy presented the following regarding OWUI’s finances:
i. Jazmin/Bookkeeping
1. Accounting overall is coming together with OWUI Bookkeeper Jazmin.
2. Bookkeeper Jazmin discovered a missing tax bill that needed to be paid that was not originally on the radar. Bookkeeper Jazmin had it paid – no issues.
ii. DBWUA Intertie Billing
1. OWUI received a bill from DBWUA for a series of intertie expenses that had not been shared with OWUI until now, regarding engineering and crane work. $27K will be OWUI’s half to pay for the intertie expenses.
2. OWUI Vice President Dave expressed interest in OWUI Treasurer further reviewing or confirming the expenses.
3. OWUI Treasurer Guy to circulate the expense documentation received from DBWUA and also noted that the OWUI Board can connect with DBWUA Steve Schaefer to go over the expenses again.
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iii. Capital Funds Designation
1. OWUI Treasurer Guy notified the OWUI Board that Bookkeeper Jazmin needs Meeting Minutes to document OWUI Board is designating capital funds for OWUI’s tank replacement and distribution system repair of amounts to be designated by OWUI Treasurer in the future.
2. OWUI Vice President Dave moved for the creation of a capital interest structure fund for OWUI for OWUI’s tank replacement and distribution system repair in dollar amounts to be designated by OWUI Treasurer in the future and to be approved by the OWUI Board.
3. OWUI Director of Operations Pat seconded. All voted in favor and motion was approved.
6. Operations Report
a. Meter Update
i. OWUI Director of Operations Pat presented the following:
1. OWUI Director of Operations Pat has not yet heard back from the meter manufacturer as to whether the new style of meters would be able to operate in the Olga area. OWUI Director of Operations Pat to share when he hears more news.
7. Member Input
a. OWUI member Mark Mayer reached out to OWUI President Geoff with interest to share news about EWUA, especially as EWUA is the Operator for OWUI.
b. OWUI member discussed general background details about EWUA’s recall and board members.
c. OWUI Board responded to OWUI Mark Mayer with appreciation and interest to learn more on an individual level. As a Board in representing OWUI membership, the OWUI Board declined to make an official comment at this time but did consider OWUI Mark Mayer’s input in whether OWUI would make a comment in the future.
8. Public Access: As noted above.
9. Next Meeting Time: September 19, 2024, 6:00 PM