Water User Members Prepare Response

— Representatives prepare formal petition to the board at Nov. 18 meeting

— by Margie Doyle —

On Wednesday, Nov. 12, a group of concerned members of the Eastsound Water Users Association (EWUA), a 501(c)12 non-profit, met to discuss responses to the EWUA board’s decision to impose the purchase of an additional half-membership upon those who have a secondary building, trailer or RV equipped with toilet and kitchen facilities.

The EWUA board has said that if the additional half-membership is purchased by Dec. 31, 2014, the cost will be $3,000. If not purchased by that date, the cost will be $6,000.

Several members of EWUA had attended the last EWUA board meeting on Oct. 21 to address the board of their concerns, including John Liger who had served on the EWUA board 20 years ago. Fred Klein said at the October meeting that “the present structure strongly favors high [water] users, in particular the people who have purchased the second half-membership.

“I’ve come to ask the board to re-examine the basis on which charges are made.”

General Manager of EWUA Paul Kamin said that the object of the initiative was “compliance with policies among all members. It has nothing to do with money; it has nothing to do with conservation.” He cited a study that showed that the most recent properties with updated dwellings showed that water consumption was “exactly twice” what it had been previous to the updates.

Elaine Thomas expressed the concerns of many that it appeared that conservation of water and minimal usage was penalized in the rate structure. EWUA board member John McLeod said that the process of imposing rates had “not been handled evenly across the membership.

“The board’s open to anything; we’re willing to go another way,” he said.

At that meeting, other members requested a special meeting to discuss EWUA policies towards conservation, membership and board participation in EWUA policies, and the Dec. 31 deadline for the “guest-house” initiative requiring extra half-memberships.

People went away from that meeting with the general assurance that a special meeting would be called in mid-November so that all might present their concerns about this matter to the board. An email was sent out by EWUA saying that that meeting would be mid-November but it was later announced that the mid-November meeting was canceled.

At the Nov. 12 meeting, which was not a EWUA board meeting, but was called by several members, the concern about the Dec. 31 deadline dominated the discussion. Also of concern was the transparency and workings of the current board. As a 501(c)12 organization, EWUA  members have the right to  elect the board and to participate in operations of the organization.

Ed Sutton, also a former EWUA board member, urged the group to call for a special membership meeting. He recalled a previous meeting where EWUA members had “thrown out the entire board and elected new board members.”

Other s in attendance asked if the half-membership fee is not paid and water is shut off, then will the $12,000 membership fee be returned?

James Hardman said that the current rate structure is based on potential, not actual, use to guarantee a secure revenue stream. But “it doesn’t follow that all should share equally in the infrastructure costs, rather than by usage.”

Fred Klein said that it was apparent there was “broad dissatisfaction with the way the EWUA operates, starting with the board.

“If a large group is dissatisfied and that group presents the board with its complaints and gives the board the opportunity to mend their ways, and create transparency…. then the EWUA can change the policies and give the manager more direction.

“The answer to the issues I’m hearing are changing the board and changing the by-laws. The problem is the deadline.”

Those in attendance were urged to familiarize themselves with the most recent edition of the by-laws, from 2009, on the EWUA website link: EastsoundWater.org. A plan was formulated to have representative speakers attend the next EWUA board meeting, on Nov. 18 at 5 or 5:30 p.m. (The board and general manager ask that those desiring to attend and/or speak call the EWUA office at 376-2127 to confirm the time and to be put on the agenda, if so desired).

Current EWUA board members are President Brian Ehrmantraut, Vice-President  John McLeod, Secretary-Treasurer Bill Burlew, Patrick Shepler, and Bob Connell.