— from Susan Malins —
I have been a member of EWUA since the early 1990s, and have often appreciated the cooperation and assistance of EWUA staff.
Until I received the EWUA letter of September 18 I had no idea that I might be violating any EWUA rule. I have never received a copy of the Bylaws or Operating Rules from EWUA, any ‘heads up’ from staff, or been otherwise informed of any problem with my water membership. When I put in a garden this summer I had my first ‘overage’ on water usage, and paid the extra charge, understanding that my water expenses are based upon usage.
I was as shocked by the content of this letter as I was by its aggressive tone. A years-old bylaw which has never been publicized or enforced suddenly requires that 80 or more members in good standing must fork up thousands of dollars in the near future and have 50% higher water bills forever? Having nothing whatsoever to do with water usage?
EWUA’s menacing tone toward members such as myself, in writing, and the unpleasant visit to my place of business where Mr. Kamin created a lengthy ruckus, motivated me to research a bit and ask some questions. I began with the EWUA website, where some bylaws contradict each other, and where I could find neither a list of current board members, minutes of meetings, nor any financial statements whatsoever.
Today I sent a letter to the EWUA Board and Manager requesting information that all members should have: When and why was this sudden initiative determined? When was the last water system plan submitted to DOH, and when is the next one due? Where’s the annual financial statement? Where are the minutes and records of notifications, specifically regarding adoption of this bylaw amendment? If EWUA is a Group A water system, why are the half-meter requirements of a Group B water system being applied? Are current members who get a new .50 membership considered “future members”, paying for expansion of the system?
I really want to understand how/if this Initiative is in the best interests of EWUA members.
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You raise some very legitimate questions Susan which I HOPE the EWUA Board will address AND simultaneously defer implementation of this “half membership for guest house” business.
The high cost of a new membership, now $12k plus, in some cases, additional charges reflects, I believe, the notion that new memberships infer capital expansion expense…and the idea that the cost of system expansion should NOT be borne by the existing membership.
But what PRAY TELL are the “capital expansion costs” which can be attributed to the sudden realization that a single membership has been serving not only a residence but a guest house as well?
I am hoping that this recent community discussion will prompt the EWUA Board to re-examine the EWUA ByLaws, reconsider the bases under which the Association operates, how it generates its essential revenue, and how it can serve its members equitably.
You ask some good questions, Susan, and they deserve good answers. Last I heard, EWUA was a member-owned cooperative like OPALCO, but does not seem to display the same transparency about its inner workings.
Michael Riordan makes a strong point as EWUA does not need to comply with the State OPMA, that is, The Open Public Meetings Act. Further, which should be investigated by the membership, there has been no Annual Meeting for years nor has there been any kind of annual report to the members on budgets, monies in account, or essentially any other matter.
A former board member, just yesterday, asked me if I knew what was going on there. When did you, as a member, cast a vote for those serving on the board at this time?
It is time for an accounting and a review of the actions taken by the EWUA Board and management to ascertain if, in fact, any of those decisions are legal. The place to begin is to review the ByLaws and appropriate minutes of meetings during the past year or more.