Minutes
Regular Meeting of the Board of Directors for Chandler Heights Citrus Irrigation District
26651 S. Valencia , Queen Creek , AZ
February 10, 2009
A public meeting of the Chandler Heights Citrus Irrigation District was convened on Tuesday February 10, 2009 at 26620 South Mandarin. The meeting was called to order at 6:05pm with George Surbeck, Pat O’Malley, Gene Rose, Recording Secretary, Jollieen Williams and Field Operations Manager, Alfonso Garcia in attendance. From the public were district residents, Ron and Amy Quintana, Kim Ruhland, Jerry Smith and Margaret Benson. No one spoke during the call to public.
March Election – Candidate Position Statements
Only George Surbeck, whose seat on the Board is under recall was present. Neither Janice Tring nor Derek Arnson were present for comment. George will have the option as mandated in ARS ______ to add a 200-word statement of position on the election ballot. The Recall Election is scheduled to be held on Tuesday March 10, 2009 .
Jerry Smith – Hydrant Meter (Body Shop Project)
Mr. Jerry Smith introduced himself and thanked all in attendance for their time and attention. His first concern was to dispel any speculation that he was not interested in maintaining water quality in the district. He assured all that he has done the appropriate research and has done diligence in terms of protecting water quality and being in complete compliance with both County and ADEQ requirements. He will being using a water-based paint that comes with a lifetime warranty and no hazardous chemicals or flammable products will be used. He informed that we he purchased the land for the body shop 5 years ago, he was well aware of the concerns about water preservation, quality, pressure etc. At that time he believes , there was a fire hydrant across the street from his property at San Tan and Power that is no longer there. His project is complete and ready to open for business but the fire code requires that there be a fire hydrant within 500 feet. He met with the Board to inquire about cost associated with installing a hydrant in the vicinity and expressed interest in expediting that process. The Board agreed that Mr. Smith had shown that professionalism and diligence in his efforts to protect and preserve water quality in the district and indicated that his business would be an asset to the community. George Surbeck made a motion to proceed with installing the fire hydrant somewhere in the vicinity of San Tan and Power. Gene Rose seconded. The precise location agreed upon was near the gate by San Tan rentals. That could change depending on convenience and feasibility. Alfonso committed to initiate d the process of ordering parts and verification the location and would report back to the Board with his thoughts and a realistic time frame on how long the installation process will take. Pat O’Malley informed Jerry that he would be required to have a backflow test performed before February 28, 2009 and that he should expect to receive a letter in the mail with details on how to proceed.
Fire Hydrant Installation Cost Update
Gene Rose reported the estimated cost of the installation would be approximately $4837.80. (see attached estimate). Jerry Smith agreed to pay the cost upfront and would then approach the business owners in the area about possible reimbursement for their estimated percentage as all would benefit by lower insurance premiums with installation of the hydrant.
RWAA (ASUA) Conference Update (George Surbeck)
George reported that the conference was extremely informative and he came away with several ideas that could help district business and process. He briefly advised that there is a “low flow” water meter on the market that has the ability to capture water usage that our current meters are not able to capture and that’s revenue that the district could potentially gain with the ability to capture that extra usage. Additionally, he conversed with a consultant for a Accounting System that has the potential to replace our current system, InHance and interface with QuickBooks. He didn’t have the name of the vendor at the time but expected to receive a package from them detailing the specifics of their system and how it would work within our billing and accounting processes. He also made mention possibly using mothballs in our meter boxes as a deterrent for bees, gophers and black widows.
Irrigation Additions after Posting Schedule (Tabled until both Zanjeros are available for more discussions)
Pat O’Malley and George Surbeck alluded to a possible change in the current meter policy being used for both residential and commercial customers. They indicated that it may not be feasible to stick to the current policy for commercial customers if that make the anticipated upgrades to the infrastructure in efforts to accommodate the LDS project. The sentiment appeared that the LDS project may be the best opportunity the district will see to start looking at perhaps administering a different meter policy for commercial customers. The Board agreed that they need to take brainstorm different ideas and develop sort of a “blue print” of how a new commercial policy might be defined.
Board Activities Review
(Written details of this agenda still in review). Pat O’Malley told Gene Rose he had received complaints or questions from many of the employees related to Gene ’s interaction with the employees. Some were uncomfortable with specific requests and others felt Gene was bypassing the normal chain of command. Gene stated that all Directors were equal and his actions were justified. Pat responded that the By-Laws define a clear difference between the every day authority of the President compared to the other Directors and that Gene ’s position was not in accordance with the By-Laws.
Office and Field Monthly Reports (Both reports attached for the record)
Jollieen reminded the Board that any and all District related meetings or activities should be coordinated through her per a conversation with the church administrator and contact.
Purchase of Manual Boom Hoist
Alfonso proposed selling a manual boom hoist to the district for $100 to use on the flat bed of Truck 2 (Irrigation Repair Truck). Gene Rose indicated that the boom Alfonso was selling was old and he was concerned about its safety. Gene stated that he’s rather take another look at the boom and rule out any safety factors before deciding on the purchase. Gene and George plan to schedule time to go examine the boom further before moving forward. No definitive decision on whether the District would buy the boom or not was made at that time.
Meeting with Brekanwood and H Bar H – CAP excess water
Pat O’Malley has drafted a letter intended to go all to all Brekanwood and H Bar H residents regarding CAP excess water. He made motion that the Board propose meeting with those residents on Tuesday March 3, 2009 . George Surbeck seconded that motion. It was decided that the District will not take the risk of committing to purchasing excess water unless they see a large support from the residents of those respective subdivisions.
Minutes from previous Board Meetings
The minutes from January 13, 2009 were read and approved.
The meeting adjourned at 8:40 pm .
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Pat O’Malley
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George Surbeck
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Gene Rose
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Jollieen Williams (Recording Secretary)