Letter to Editor | What’s going on at Eastsound Water Users Association?

||| FROM CORY HARRINGTON |||

I am an ex-employee at EWUA. I worked there for 4 years in the role of Billing & Membership Specialist.

All statements below reflect my personal views and consist of verbatim questions submitted to the EWUA Board and the responses received.

Here’s a list of questions that I have recently submitted to the EWUA Board.

After each question is the “answer” I received. Some have not been answered at all.

Decide for yourself if this feels like transparent, accountable, responsible governance and management.

Based on my direct experience and interactions with current staff, I personally believe that working conditions for field operators have deteriorated due to management decisions and inadequate board oversight.

The community needs to speak up for them and protect the people who protect our most valuable resource, the water we drink.

The next Board meeting is Tuesday, December 16, 2025 @5pm, typically held at the OIFR Fire Hall.  

Here is the contact information to reach the Board:
General office email – info@eastsoundwater.org

Board President Teri Nigretto email – president@eastsoundwater.org

General Manager Dan Burke email – dan@eastsoundwater.org

Eastsound Water office phone number – (360) 376-2127

If you have any questions after reading this, and you should, please contact EWUA and ask questions until you are satisfied with the answers you get.

Question:

1. Legal Expenditures and Related Costs (Since 2022)

• How much money has the Association spent on legal fees since 2022 (including 2022)?
• Of that total, how much represents payouts or settlements to employees?
• How much was paid to or on behalf of the General Manager during his lawsuit against the Association?
• How much has the Association spent on union-related legal work, including contract negotiation, attorney consultation, and grievance responses?

Answer:

Consistent with our obligation to provide members access to accounting and financial information for transparency purposes, all expense and revenue information is available online here, going back to 2011: https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/916055851. These reports show notable expenses. If helpful, I can also provide you with our General Ledger for fiscal years 2022 to 2024, which will list our total expenses for professional services for those years. Should you want additional financial information, please provide the specific good faith reason for needing such additional information. You will understand, given the exceedingly adversarial nature of your resignation (including the open investigation into your misconduct and the literal middle finger you gave us on your way out the door), that we have reason to be concerned about your intended use for these records, and the Association is not obligated to turn over confidential information that may result in harm to the Association or third-parties. Similarly, we are not obligated to turn over documents or information that we are legally obligated to keep confidential (such as confidential employee settlement agreements, which we cannot disclose).

Question:

2. Private Property Water Main Relocation (Rosario)

• Why did EWUA pay for the relocation of a water main serving a third-party system, rather than the property owner or Washington Water?
• What were the total project costs paid by EWUA, including excavation, materials, parts, and labor?
• What was the Board’s justification for authorizing EWUA to fund this work?
• Was EWUA reimbursed for any portion of this project?
• Does the $26,447 listed in the 2023 year-end financials under “Third Party System Repair” represent the cost of this relocation?

Answer:

We are not aware of any affiliation you have with this account or project. Nor do we typically disclose this level of information regarding ongoing projects.

Question:

3. Board Conduct and Oversight of Staff

• Why are Board members conducting investigations involving staff rather than utilizing an independent HR, legal, or third-party process?
• What EWUA policies or bylaws authorize or limit Board involvement in personnel, disciplinary, or investigatory matters?

Answer:

The Board oversees management of the Association at a high level. As provided by our Bylaws, most operational decisions are made by the General Manager. A copy of our Bylaws is available online for your review.

Question:

4. Union Contract Negotiation

• What is the current status of the collective bargaining agreement, and when can members expect a finalized and published version of the contract?
• What is the projected timeline for completion of negotiations?

Answer:

The Association is not obligated to provide this information to you, and given that you are no longer an employee of the Association, it would be inappropriate to do so.

Question:

5. Clark Well Project Budget and Timeline

• What was the original Board-approved budget and timeline for the Clark Well project and are there meeting minutes available to support the approval?
• What are the current total costs to date, and what is the projected final cost and completion date?
• Has the Board formally amended or reauthorized the project budget since its original approval?

Answer:

We are not aware of any affiliation you have with this project. If you have any questions about this project, the appropriate forum to raise those questions would be our next Board meeting.

Next question context:

I am submitting the following inquiry regarding the decision to bring in off-island contractor (name omitted) to perform work that appears to overlap directly with the General Manager’s job duties. The scope, authority, and cost of this arrangement raise significant concerns about transparency, governance oversight, use of member funds, and the Board’s responsibility to ensure the Association is being managed both effectively and lawfully.

Based on information shared by staff and observable operational changes, the following appears to be accurate:

• (Name omitted) was offered $75–$95 per hour, which equates to approximately $150,000–$200,000 per year if treated as a full-time operational role.
• He lives off-island.
• He has been issued an EWUA company vehicle, an EWUA gas card, and an EWUA credit card.
• He is functioning in a de facto Operations Manager or Assistant GM role, directing operators, managing field projects, and reporting directly to the GM.
• These duties significantly overlap with responsibilities the GM is already paid to perform.
• None of the existing operators were informed of this opportunity, invited to apply, or considered for promotion.

This arrangement represents a substantial change to EWUA’s staffing model and budget trajectory. It also raises fundamental questions about the GM’s capacity, the Board’s oversight, and the financial sustainability of contracting out administrative leadership at premium rates.

To ensure accountability and transparency, I am requesting written responses to the following:

Questions:

1. Who authorized contracting out what appear to be GM-level responsibilities at a cost approaching $200,000 per year?
   a. Was this decision made by Board vote, by delegation, or entirely at the GM’s discretion?
2. Why did the Board not disclose any of this at the Annual Meeting, despite the large financial implications and operational impact?
3. Why is the GM’s job now being contracted out, after the Board approved a 65% salary increase over 5 years, specifically to compensate him for managing the workload he created?
4. What are the projected GM salary increases for 2026, and how does the addition of an off-island contractor align with the justification for those increases?
5. Why is the GM unable or unwilling to perform these duties himself, given that they fall squarely within his job description and the justification for his salary expansion?
6. Where is the funding for this contractor coming from?

◦ Was a budget amendment approved?

◦ Is this cost being taken from capital projects, reserves, or operating funds?

◦ Has a long-term cost analysis been conducted?

7. Why is an outside contractor being granted access to EWUA vehicles, fuel, and purchasing authority, instead of being required to operate using his own equipment and billing accordingly?
8. Why were EWUA operators — some with decades of institutional knowledge — not offered this job, notified of the opportunity, or given a chance to advance?
9. What message does it send to staff that the Board is willing to bypass internal talent and replace them with off-island contractors at premium cost, particularly given the Association’s history of strained labor relations?

Answer:  

Thank you for your email. I understand your concern, and the Board is certainly aligned in the goal of ensuring that the Association is run efficiently and safely. I can assure you that the Board was informed of the decision to hire (name omitted) as a contractor, and we agree with Dan’s decision to do so. This was a carefully considered choice to bring in someone with this particular expertise that could assist Dan in shouldering some of the managerial responsibility and augment our current staff’s skill set. As our membership grows, it is crucial that he has this infrastructural support in place. And as General Manager, Dan has full authority to make appropriate staffing decisions, such as this one. 

Of course, we as a Board monitor the budgetary impacts of such decisions. In this case, (name omitted) time has not resulted in a significant impact to our operating expenses.

Question:

Is EWUA conducting audio or video surveillance of employees at offices, treatment plants, or third-party system facilities?

Specifically:

• Has the Board authorized the recording of audio within EWUA workspaces?
• Have employees, members, or system owners been informed of any such monitoring?
• What EWUA policies govern surveillance, data retention, notification, and employee privacy

Answer:

No answer provided.