The Blame Game Part 1

March 5, 2018

The Other Side of BWSD – The Blame Game Goes On –Part 1 of a 3 part Blog (by Karen Renner)

Note – I exclude Director Jan Jones from comments regarding the current board.  She appears to be the only director willing to listen, ask questions and apply logic. I am writing at length to explain concerns with current operations of Bayview Water & Sewer District to assist people who have only recently begun to follow.

Truth or Blame?  If you research why people blame others, it is simply to avoid admitting culpability.  Recent campaigns for positions on the BWSD board focused on allegations of financial mismanagement, a lack of transparency and poor customer service from the previous board and district employees.  No apologies were offered when financial audits came back showing the district ran within budget each year.  The facts are, since Mr. Richard Doney became Chairman of the Board in 2016, operation costs have exploded and complaints by customers continue to increase.  I am not talking about complaints from citizens Mr. Doney refers to as “the group of eight haters”.  I am referring to the growing number of unsatisfied district customers frustrated by inadequate service or being given inaccurate information.

The irony of this continual pattern of blame is that the so-called irresponsible previous board and neglectful operators managed to leave the current board with significant funds in savings!!  How lucky to be able to spend so liberally because of those who served before you.  Obviously, the previous board could have spent far beyond the budget without consideration but chose not to.  They too could have allowed operators to call outside contractors to make repairs or install service connections.  Employees could have gone home each day without any dirt on their hands or boots and watched others complete ‘dirty labor work’.  But they got by, replacing what was necessary and carefully planning for when and how to make purchases within budget.  Staying within budget was valued and some replacements were pushed back when not imminently necessary (currently referred to as ‘neglect’).  Amazingly, the district produced water through every storm, never flooded the sewer treatment site, remained in compliance with permits and completed new service connections without months of controversy. 

We can continue to “chain blame” all day long, and it accomplishes nothing except to confuse facts necessary for customers to understand.   Mr. Doney continues to state various reasons why the district now fails to operate within budget since converting to contract operations.   With an intensifying need to “justify” deficit spending, Richard Doney writes in a recent letter “In the past several months, we’ve incurred major expenses to repair neglected issues, poor installation problems, lack of routine maintenance along with a few unusual circumstances”.  Mr. Doney would ask us to believe that mud slides, electrical surges during lightning storms, winter freezing and power outages are circumstances exclusive to the past few months.   Board minutes and operator reports over the past several years outline maintenance performed, discussions on anticipated work required moving forward and planning for operation expenses within the budget.  (details included later in this letter).  The previous operators were aware of many things needing attention through daily checks or adjustments.  They were also aware of many things that could be upgraded but managed without the expense.  A full time employee operator had the ability to consistently monitor and make repairs, often without calling in another company.  A contract operator with 20 other systems to run does not have the time to dedicate to just one system (hence constant requests to upgrade equipment to run automatically).

I reviewed board minutes, operator reports and recent invoices obtained in order to understand facts.  The list below summarizes the maintenance & repairs completed.  I did not include typical daily system checks, performing requested locates, new service installations, reading meters, routine septic tank pumping, etc.  Minutes and recent operator reports are available on the BWSD website for anyone wanting to verify (I have been accused of bringing Fake News to Bayview).   As you can see, previous and current operators addressed problems with pumps, line breaks, leaks and other maintenance/repairs in addition to new service connections.  So why the outrageous increase in costs far exceeding budget??? Despite documentation in monthly board minutes, the district maintains ‘major repairs’ are exclusive to the past few months. 

2016 - Maintenance and Repairs documented by employees (operator reports available for the last part of 2016)

·         Dromore addition -  pump fixed

·         Re-wired timer on pump #1 Tri-Plex (main sewer pump station which houses 3 large pumps)

·         Rebuilt one of the Tri-plex pumps

·         Repaired distribution leak at Vista Bay

·         Replaced transducer in main well pump house #7 after pressure sensor was malfunctioning

·         Replaced a pump on Hudson Bay Road

·         Repaired major water leak in Farragut State Park (indicates 9 more aging joints need fixed)

2017 -  January through August - Maintenance and Repairs documented by employees

·         Replaced a bad check valve on Tri-plex station pump #1; pumps 2 and 3 were not running on automatic and had to be run on manual until United Crown found the voltage controller was not working and this was replaced;  verified fluctuating voltage at peak power using times with KEC

·         Two new pumps purchased for Tri-plex

·         Repaired leaking sewer line to a septic tank on Arapaho Drive

·         Mud slide on Cape Horn road, shutting off section of water main to make repairs to main line and service connections

·         Pulled Pump #3 at the Triplex station and replaced it with a new pump ($6,009.28)

·         Replaced a vent screen at the top of the main water tower in Farragut

·         Serviced 2 septic tanks with flow issues

·         Repaired electrical breaker - Duwamish condos

·         Replaced generator battery at pump house #7 (main well house)

·         Serviced Cape Horn Main Pump station generator

·         Repaired water shutoff valves

·         Digging up and replacing two concrete top water meter boxes

·         Sprayed out sand filters at the treatment site

·         Installed a new actuator for the sand filters

·         Treatment site spring maintenance:  checking valves, inspecting all sprinkler lines for any needed repairs, clearing brush & fallen trees and spraying poison

·         Maintenance pumps at the Triplex, leaking oil detected and repaired ($2,235.63)

·         (Reid Vacation coverage by Water System Mtg) Water leak repaired at Duwamish, pulled pump under warranty at Dromore station ($4,064.50 Water System Mgt labor) ($590.84 excavation)

·         Treatment site operation maintenance: Rotating sprinkler heads at treatment site for proper coverage; cleared site of weeds and impeding trees;  cleaned out the #2 and #3 sand filters;  flushed the system and cleaned the bottom of the pond

·         Installed a new pump at the Tri-plex

·         Repaired Leak at Lakeland RV ($1,790.84 includes installation of a new meter on same invoice)

·         Serviced irrigation pump at the treatment site ($384.50)

·         Installed new septic tank motor at McDonalds resort; re-plumbed to provide easier maintenance access ($4,656.80)

·         Repaired septic tank leak on 5^th street ($500)

·         Repairs to Pumping Failure Alarm at Cape Horn Estates Booster Pumps ($300)

·         Tested calibration of water flow up on Cape Horn Sewage Lagoon

2017 – August to January, 2018 Contract Operator Maintenance and Repairs documented (no reports posted for August & September 2017, work identified via invoices received from public record requests)

·         Repaired three treatment site flow meters

·         Hired company to inspect and clean water tower ($2,900), inspect water main on lake bed in Scenic Bay ($4,750)

·         Hired company to replace water meter on Cottonwood Court ($2,500 – labor, 2 man crew @$250/hr)

·         Hired company to repair broken pipe in Dromore Pump house ($800 - labor, 2 man crew @$200/hr)

·         Repaired breaker at Duwamish lift station; installed new control panel and contactor ($2,038.45)

·         Repaired leak on Pend Oreille Pines Rd ($2,656)

·         Moved 2 water lines on Cape Horn Road as required by Lakes Highway ($5,065)

·         Serviced LMI pumps and check flow meters ($2,031.45)

·         Winterized sewer treatment irrigation site

In the July 18, 2017 board minutes, the previous employee operator reported that “in the near future the district will need to dig up and replace the valves at MacDonald’s when the season comes to an end and things slow down”.  Did the new operator follow up on this?  Is this neglect of repairs? If so, by who?

At the regular board meeting on February 15^th, I attempted to clarify an example Mr. Doney cited as a recent major expense such as “Major leak at Lakeland RV Park after Lakes Highway broke a pipe during roadwork”.  I called Lakes Highway District, as well as the sub-contractor who did the work on Perimeter road.  Both verified they were notified by the district operator of the leak discovery prior to road work starting, and repairs were in progress the day road work began.  Mr. Doney insisted (quite rudely) that I did not know what I was taking about.  I have a picture taken on July 10^th, 2017, the day work began to fix the leak.  It shows water pooling in the access road to the RV Park and no road work in progress from Lakes Highway.  It also shows the ‘locates’ which are spray painted on the asphalt (which are typically called in a few days prior).  Invoice for excavation work done was July 10, 2017, district operator provided labor to repair a 2” pvc broken elbow (major leak).  In my opinion, a public apology is owed to Lakes Highway District since the letter is now posted on the website.

At the February 15^th board meeting, Mr. Doney presented a response (to a letter of concern submitted to the board by a citizen) deflecting any responsibility for financial management decisions that were fully within the discretion of the board.

1)      “Vacation pay outs and severance package to former operators”:  When Neil retired, Reid operated the system for months by himself.  Neil’s position did not need to be replaced when there was a fully licensed operator and a contracted back-up operator in place (combined was thousands of dollars less per month than we are paying now to contract operators).  Mr. Doney states payouts were an ‘unforeseen expenditure’ yet the board was aware of the amount of vacation employees had.  Neil’s vacation payout could have been less impactful had the district chose attrition or delayed the abrupt conversion to contract operations (thus avoiding an additional vacation payout and severance package).  These decisions were choices of the board, implemented without a transition or oversight plan in place addressing overall financial implications    Again, blame and no responsibility taken.  Again, savings funds were accessed.

2)      “Unexpected costs have occurred…” Doney states aging equipment needs checked regularly, and routine maintenance and repairs were neglected.  Previous operators checked daily M-F, the current operator does not.  Why is there so much blame assigned to typical issues with any aging system?  Mr. Doney’s letter also states “Water line break at Dromore booster due to incorrect piping and installation”.   According to board minutes, Water System Mgt completed work in June 2017 at Dromore when a pump went down (while Reid was on vacation).  Months after this work was done, Dromore flooded and it was reported by a citizen because the contract operator had not checked that location for 4 consecutive days prior. It’s possible that a leak could have been detected before a total break, who knows.  If something was done incorrectly, why is the board not requesting Water System Mgt fix it?  Who determined the piping and installation were incorrect?  Was it the company that originally installed these pumps? I requested invoices for work done at Dromore to see who did the re-plumbing and the district has not yet complied with my request submitted 3.1.18.  These are questions the board should be openly addressing, but fail to do so.

3)      “The District incurred start-up costs for the upcoming Facility Plan”… This has been an on-going subject for quite some time at meetings and we have no idea how this expense will be covered.  As of January 31, there is only $12,990 left in the total FY budget for professional fees (of $41,200 budgeted through the end of November 2018).  We have yet to pay for the yearly audit which is a substantial cost to the district.  Once again, this Board (under Chairman Doney) does not plan for, or execute fiscal responsibility.  How does the board plan to cover the huge expense of the Facility Plan (which district cost may be as much as $67,000 according to DEQ statements)?  Savings?  DEQ application states the district has the funds to cover this.

4)      District share of the grant for Cape Horn generators was $4639. Originally, the 25% share cost of the grant was going to be off-set by credit for director and employee labor.  Again, Mr. Doney continues to present large expenditures as ‘unexpected and unforeseen’ yet fully within the repercussion of choosing to contract operations.  With no employees to provide labor and contract operators who do not perform this labor as part of their contract, the district had to actually pay the full 25% share cost of the grant with district funds…

This board appears to resist any information which may present a different set of facts or perspective which, in my opinion, opens the district to extreme liability and risk.  Examples:

·         This board contracted with an operator who did not have a qualified license to operate the sewer treatment site.  The board insisted it was OK because the back-up charge operator was licensed, however, failed to confirm with the back-up operator.  Weeks later, DEQ issued a letter of non-compliance (after I filed a complaint).  The board then stated “the only reason we were out of compliance is because they changed the rules”.  I called DEQ to verify, no rules had changed since Idaho Bureau of Licensing assumed oversight of licensure 5+ years ago.  The board did not read the Re-Use permit, or call DEQ to understand requirements prior to making a decision to contract with an unlicensed operator (land application/treatment site) and place our system at risk. Nor did the board arrange for supervision, training or oversight from a licensed operator until forced to do so by DEQ.  The board trusted misguided information from the new contract operator without verifying compliance requirements or facts, and mislead the public during meetings.

·         In January, the new contract operator reported that during the major power outage he was unable to start generators and that the main well generator must be started manually (who is this a problem for?  It’s an older diesel generator). 

o   Mr. Kuchenski had been the charge operator for over 5 months and apparently never took the time to understand, check or maintain generators prior to the first power outage that placed our community at risk of being without water or pumping sewage

o   Mr. Kuchenski reported there was no schedule to follow, but he would develop one

o   After this, Mr. Doney states in  a letter that generator batteries were corroded and needed to be replaced, suggesting neglect by previous operators and reason the new operator was unable to start generators during an emergency

o   Board minutes in May, 2017 document previous employee operators replaced the well generator battery -  was this a bad battery under warranty?  Same minutes also document maintenance on another generator.  Employees reported routinely starting generators (and cleaning the terminals with baking soda) despite not having a written schedule as they were able to track this being here full time and having in depth knowledge of our system. Was baking soda thought to be corrosion?

o   Not one director inquired of Mr. Kuchenski during his report, asking when he last started the generators, serviced or checked them.  5 months of being in each pump station and not learning emergency operations is not acceptable (in my opinion).

·         In January, Mr Kuchenski reported the well pump could not be operated manually, which ‘placed us at the mercy’ of the system during the same power outage. 

o   Marsha Ritzheimer reported in a recent letter her knowledge of 2 separate switches, both operational.  I know Reid operated the well pump station in manual mode, sometimes days at a time when necessary. 

o   Mr. Kuchenski reported he has called a company to come and fix the switch

o   Again, not one director asked the operator why 5 months had gone by without his knowledge of emergency operation.  If there was switch problem, why was this not found on routine checks?  Marsha points out, the main manual switch has a 10 minute safety delay, however, Mr. Kuchenski reports the switch was ‘disconnected’.  Mr. Kuchenski was also unaware of the instant override switch.

o   Mr. Kuchenski could have stated he did not know how, rather, he reports things were broken – things he didn’t bother to check or learn about for 5 months.

I could give example after example of information reported which the board accepts at face value, no questions, no verification and questions about this are met with defensive and hostile tones.  Oversight is the responsibility of the board.  On September 20, 2017, I wrote a formal letter to the board asking what contract monitoring and oversight processes were in place and have yet to receive an answer.  People deserve the truth.  It would be nice if the district would simply take ownership of decisions they are making, as well as answer questions with complete honesty.  There is no money in the monthly budget for loan re-payment (as the originally stated reason for converting to contract operations).  Fact is, we will be asked to approve a bond this fall, and most likely more than double our base water rates to cover loan re-payment because it is costing more to contract operations.  What started at 1.7 million for upgrades, the Letter of Interest to DEQ requests 3.3 million.  The more we spend, the more the engineering firm makes.  Operations become remote or automatic with limited on-site presence…everyone wins but the customers who will pay substantially more.

Part 2 and 3 to follow, including facts surrounding the infamous flooding of the BWSD sewer treatment site – stay tuned….

A Matter of Public Records Request Facts

“All citizens in a democratic society are entitled to openness in government. Idaho's Open Meeting and Public Records laws, ensure that state and local government business is conducted in the open, that citizens have access to public documents, and at the same time the privacy of citizens is protected.” Idaho Public Record Law Manual. 2017

For those of you not familiar with this manual it can be accessed online. Public record requests make sure that we as citizens can access public records to keep our government open and transparent.

“Open government is the cornerstone of a free society. The Idaho Legislature affirmed Idaho’s commitment to open government by enacting the Idaho public records law in 1990. The public records law protects each citizen’s right to monitor the actions of state and local government entities by providing access to government records. The Legislature is continually balancing the competing interests of public access and an individual’s right to privacy, through its adoption and amendments to Idaho’s public records law.”

With that said a question was posed at the last BW&S meeting (February 15, 2018) by a citizen concerning the recent requests for public records. These requests are protected by our State Attorney General Lawrence Wadsen. We as users of BW&S have the right to monitor the actions that our Board has taken concerning the running and administration of our Water and Sewer District. If memory serves me correctly it seems that one of our current Board members did indeed exercise her right to view public records before she was elected to the Board. She was heavily involved in public records requests along with 3 other people, two who are members of the BW&S District.

Chairman Chuck Waller stated in a letter to the CDA Press editor May 13th, 2015 “A third issue is a complaint that Bayview Water and Sewer is following the State Code regarding record requests. Would people have us ignore State laws because it is not convenient for them? The law is to enhance transparency.” (Chuck Waller).

We as consumers have the right to look at records, we also have the right to make public records requests. The current Board used transparency as their platform during the 2015 election. 

Yes, citizens can make public records requests, no the Board may not ask why citizens are making the request, and no the Board should not make a request at a Board meeting that citizens stop making requests because the requests are, in their opinion, a waste of time.

" The denial of honesty, openness, transparency and integrity in public administration leads to self-interest and corruption vs public interest and sound governance."

Norma Jean Knowles

Letter to BW&S Board

Marsha Ritsheimer sent this to the BW&S Board. I was given permission to post:

February 11, 2018

Dear Bayview Water & Sewer Board Members,

It is easy to make it sound like you are doing a wonderful job because everything negative is the fault of someone else.  According to campaign promises, the previous board did nothing correct.  The audits were late, the water and sewer rates were raised, with limited justification, and it was said we lacked transparency.  However, the lateness of the audits did not show any wrong doings with financials.  The water and sewer rate increases were long overdue, and needed, just to keep the district sound.  We operated on a “pay-as-you-go” platform.  The only time the previous board members discussed business, was at the monthly meetings.

Now you, the new board members, are making big changes, which you promised you would do.  However, these changes, for water only, are coming with a 2.8 to 3 million dollar bond (loan) price tag and a possible increase in the base water rate of 100% (from $24 per month to $48 per month).

1)   You want us to respect your position and actions, however, I find it extremely difficult -

a)    When you make repeated decisions outside of the monthly board meetings.

b)   Spend money at an alarming rate for labor that was previously done by the in-house employees.

c)    Respond to questions of concern with sarcasm.

d)   Imply this is the first time inspections or ideas were ever done or considered.

2)   Hire a contractor who

a)    Does not do manual work himself but instead hires outside labor.

b)   Never says “I don’t know” or “I’m not sure”.  Instead,

i)     Implies the previous workers didn’t do their job.

ii)    The system wasn’t kept in working order.

iii)  Manual Switch in main pump house was disabled.

(1)  Was he trying to operate a switch that had a 10 minute safety delay?

c)    Says a meter is needed to monitor the effluent to the leach fields.

i)     There is a meter.  It just needs a new battery.

d)   Said the triplex generator failed to start during the last power outage.

i)     The triplex works on a float system – the generator starts when the float indicates pumping is required.

e)    Says the system is old.

i)     Yes, the system is old but why can’t items be replaced as needed and not be replaced as wanted?

Instead of taking offense at every question, why don’t you analyze the reason for the questions?  Instead of publicly calling people “Trouble Makers” and “Liars”, why don’t you find out the actual truth of the entire situation?  There are not any Bayview Water & Sewer District customers who would want to harm the system and to think otherwise is ridiculous and being uninformed.

I currently feel there is only one board member, who not only truly cares about the district and the job, but who can actually look at a situation and analyze it with fact and not emotion; one who diligently works to do a job without violating the trust of the people.

Many campaign promises are gone and it has become a “do as I say, not as I do” situation.  Where’s the transparency, secure financials and customer service?  Those were your words, which you used on the campaign trail, that have now gone by the wayside.

We are not a district of thousands so these great improvements are going to come at a huge cost to each rate payer.  When the previous board raised the rates due to economical increases, we were attacked by you, the same people who now want to raise the rates so drastically.  There is a huge difference in making repairs and replacements, as needed, versus making elaborate changes because it will make everything the latest and greatest.

Sincerely,

Marsha Ritzheimer

The Other Side of BW&S District

The Other Side of BWSD

-by Karen Renner

2.12.2018

NOTE:  All figures quoted herein are taken from records supplied by the BWSD office.  The 2016-17 fiscal year-end figures are not yet audited; projected figures are identified and based on current available averages.  Complete fiscal year audits and current proposed budget are available on the BWSD website.

The first evening BWSD board meeting is February 15^th, 7:00 p.m. at the Community Center.

Customers of Bayview Water Sewer District should be informed of unsustainable deficit spending under the current Board of Directors.  Under new meeting rules announced in January, the board no longer will dialogue with or answer questions from the public during meetings.  Comments may not be made for items on the agenda for that meeting, because the board does not want to be ‘influenced’ prior to making decisions.   

When the district changed from employee based to contract based operations in August 2017, I asked the board specifically what duties our employees performed that would not be covered in the new operator contracts.  The board has yet to answer this question, and one board member went so far as to tell me that it may be years before they truly know what the difference in operation costs will be.  While monthly deficit spending continues, the board has launched a preliminary process to study and develop proposals for a $2,800,000 to $3,000,000 (YES, MILLION) bond for upgrades to the water system.  BOND means the district customers must re-pay a loan.  The initial estimate is a 100% increase of the existing base water rate of $24.00, resulting in a base rate of $48 MONTHLY per customer for water.  This does not include sewer fees, or any needed upgrades to our existing sewer system.

The BWSD board ‘sold’ the change from employee based to contract based operations by proclaiming “we will be saving $82,000 per year, which we will be able to use to re-pay the loan for improvements”.  We were also told the new contract operator was more skilled with higher licenses. In my opinion, operators with higher class licenses (to run systems such as Spokane or Coeur d’Alene) could be used as consultants, not day to day operations.  This could be compared to hiring a CPA to complete daily basic bookkeeping functions, at a substantial higher wage or salary.

BWSD stated at the October 2017 meeting that our former employee operator cost to the district (payroll, taxes, insurance and benefits) was $5,000 per month.  This cost also included most labor for maintenance and repairs to our systems, buildings, grounds, and 80-acre treatment site (timber mgmt, field cultivation, vegetation control etc).  We are currently paying $7,000 per month to contract operators who perform minimal labor for maintenance and repairs.  The district now pays additional labor costs to various businesses.  This includes excavation companies who must bring labor crews (at a cost of anywhere between $40 - $125/hr each crew member) to complete jobs which our contract operators do not perform under their contract and which our employees used to do (meter installs, pipe breaks, leak repairs etc).  We have yet to approach a season of opening and running the wastewater treatment site under contract operations.  Our treatment site has been shut down since the new wastewater charge operator began in September 2017.  I want to be clear, this is not the fault of our contract operators.  These contractors are simply doing what they bid for and is outlined in their contracts.   Our advocacy group has continually voiced concern regarding the uniqueness of our system, which requires exceptional time and familiarity to maintain AND operate.  The BWSD board failed to recognize this when abruptly dismissing the remaining employee operator and choosing to turn all operations over to new contractors.  All of this comes at a significant increase in operating costs to us, the customers of the district.  I assert the board failed to conduct an appropriate cost/benefit analysis prior to making a decision whether the contracts were appropriate for the amount being paid and failed to consider the impact on the overall district budget.

BWSD Repair and Maintenance totals under employee operations for fiscal years ending

2013      $41,892.00

2014      $43,076.00

2015       $31,666.00 actual

2016       $50,036.00 actual, $51,900 budgeted

BWSD Repair and Maintenance totals after switching to contract based operations in August 2017:

2017       $98,056.00 actual, $53,000 budgeted

(includes $25,155 expense for 2 pumps which may be capitalized, leaving actual amounts of $72,901 which still exceeds budget.  With this adjusted actual number, in the first 8 months of the fiscal year, the district spent $27,205 for employee based maintenance/repairs.  In the last 5 months- August-December, 2017, they spent $66,045 for contract based maintenance/ repairs---A 142.7% INCREASE.

2018       Budget is $68,000.  $20,346 was spent in December, 2017, the first month of the fiscal year

Under employee based operations 2013 -2016, the average monthly cost for maintenance and repairs was $3,473.00.  Contract operation monthly average for maintenance and repairs for Oct, Nov and Dec was $15,573.  

One employee operator cost ($5,000) + average monthly maintenance/repairs ($3,473) equates to approximately $8,473.00 or $101,676 per year.

Current budget is $89,000 for operators, $10,000 for contract labor and $68,000 for maintenance and repairs, or $167,000 for the year, which under current spending will be well exceeded.

After raising base rates $3.00 per customer per month, the 2016 -2017 fiscal year net operating loss was $67,186. This works out to be an estimated additional $141.00 per customer for the year (estimated 475 customers +/-).

In December 2017, first month of the new fiscal year, the operating loss was posted at $23,439.

Total Checking and Savings balances decreased $83,174 from 7/31/17 to 12/31/17 and the district's Total Assets decreased a whopping $128,466 from this rampant, out of control spending.

I am asking concerned district members to get involved! Come to meetings and submit your own questions to the board.  Our goal is to preserve the affordable lifestyle we enjoy in Bayview, and ensure our water and sewer system is responsibly run within the identified budget.

Thank you for taking the time to read and consider this large amount of information.

*On the following page you will find comparison budget data over the past several years.  Please note this is not inclusive of all district operation costs.  Audits and current budget can be found on the district website. This is for consideration only regarding cost/benefit analysis of employee vs contract based operations.  All figures quoted herein are taken from records supplied by the BWSD office.  The 2016-17 fiscal year-end figures are not yet audited; projected figures are identified as such as an estimate based on current available amounts which were averaged.  I have no intent to mislead in any way, I am just a concerned citizen who feels our district can be run more efficiently on a day to day basis. 

Bayview Angels

Bayview Angels

                This article started out as a Christmas Story of sorts, but is now just a reminder of all the angels in our small little community.  Over the holiday season, I witnessed a man walk into the Merc and ask an employee of the Merc, Linda Brazee, if the Timberlake Fire Department was collecting for the food bank.  She confirmed, and this man nearly cleaned the shelf of chili, soups and stews to donate later that evening.  Not only did he help the local food bank, but also local business at a very slow time of the year for Bayview.  I also noticed the beautiful wreath hanging in the Merc that was raffled off to raise money for Brad Mangett to help him with his personal loss due to fire. Kicking off the month of November was the Veterans’ Dinner sponsored by the Captain’s Wheel crew.  Now comes my personal experience with Bayview Angels.

                Many of you know me as the lady at the pancake breakfasts that tries to sell raffle tickets as well as tickets for the $1000 raffle to support the Bayview Chamber of Commerce.  What you may not know is what is done with the money collected. The Chamber Board uses those funds to support the Community Center operations, the Chamber general fund that provides activities and prizes / gifts for the children’s Easter Egg hunt, Christmas party, Bayview Daze Street, Boat Parade, Girls State, Fire and Police Fund too!  In 2017 the mini-50/50 raffle was donated to the LPOIC fishing derby youth division.

                Some of you may also know me as the crazy lady with the patriotic bikini swimsuit cover that walks with Uncle Sam and the Bucket Brigade in the Bayview Daze Parade collecting donations for the next year’s fireworks extravaganza. 

                My latest fund-raising endeavor is collecting money to pay back a Guardian Angel that has loaned me $2500 to pay for legal fees for Norma Jean Knowles and Sue Damon as they are in the process of having to defend themselves against trespassing and were also named as possible perpetrators of vandalism by the Chairman of the BW&S Board.  After hearing of water overflowing from the BWSD property, down a forest service road and onto private property over underground springs, these two ladies took a walk up the road armed with cameras and wearing flipflops to investigate as concerned citizens of the community.  For further information on this issue, read the letter posted on the BWSD website.  When the board was questioned about the action to adamantly pursue criminal charges, the response was “because they lied”.  Anyone who knows these two women simply knows that their integrity is stellar.  Norma Jean and Sue are fine upstanding citizens in our community and would never cause harm to any person or property.  They volunteer hours of their time, talent and treasure to the community and this action by the BW&S Board is extreme and totally unnecessary, in my own opinion.  Anyone accused of a crime is “innocent until proven guilty”.  What happened to direct communication and conversation?  What about a simple warning?  After public outrage, Jan Jones attempted to make a motion to stop the pursuit of charges for the good of the community. However; the Chairman would not accept the motion and refused to consider an amendment to the agenda.  The police report was filed in Kootenai County because Mr. Doney did not know that the treatment site is in Bonner County.  Having to change the venue from Kootenai to Bonner may cost even more for their defense.  Hence, I have been soliciting donations to pay back Bayview’s Guardian Angel and get these fees covered as both ladies are on fixed incomes and do not deserve the stress of trying to pay for legal costs.  Having one’s character attacked publicly and legally is stress enough. Besides the main Guardian Angel that loaned me the initial $2500, there have been several other angels that have donated and pledged to help cover this cost for Norma Jean Knowles & Sue Damon and you know who you are. I express my sincere thanks to all not only for myself but on behalf of Norma Jean & Sue.  I am still in need of funding and would appreciate any help in covering these costs.

                Again, I would personally like to thank all the angels for the gracious contributions to this cause, so far, and for not running away each time you see me coming.  Please know that when I ask for financial support it will always go to a good cause and this is one that is dear to my heart.  These ladies are our friends and neighbors that were just trying to keep our community safe.  If anyone reading this article would like to donate to help me pay back Bayview’s Guardian Angel or for general questions, please feel free to contact me.  The main Guardian Angel wishes to remain anonymous and I am also keeping all contributors of donations confidential.  Every little bit helps.  Thanks again & God bless all the angels in our community.

Jamie Berube

jjberube52@outlook.com

(509) 838-4651 x 012340 – Weekdays 8 A.M. to 6 P.M.

(509) 928-2570 – Evenings & Few Weekends

(208) 683-5138 – Nearly Every Weekend

Letter to BW&S

For those of you who do not attend or cannot attend the BW&S Meetings here is a cover letter and letter written by Colleen Dahlseid. Please read, please feel free to share! Note the paragraph highlighted in yellow.

Cover Letter to Chairman Doney:

January 18, 2018

Mr. Richard Doney, Chairman

BWSD Board of Directors

P.O. Box 637

Bayview, ID  83803-0637,

Dear Mr. Doney,

I am enclosing a revision of the letter I presented to the Board at the January 17, 2017 meeting. 

It came to my attention last evening that the service provider had charged $200.

per hour for the 4 hour repair at the pump house vs the $250 per hour he had charged for the water meter install.

I would never knowingly provide inaccurate information to this Board or anyone

else and I apologize for the error.

Sincerely,

Colleen Dahlseid

PO Box 642

Bayview, ID  83803

January 17, 2018

Bayview Water and Sewer District

Board of Directors

I would like some answers from this Board about the financial management of the district. 

The figures I am quoting to you are taken from the reports and paid invoices you have supplied in response to public records requests, they are your figures, not mine.

As you are aware, for the fiscal year ending November 30, 2017, the district had a net operating loss of $67,186. The budget for this period had a projected profit of $3,475.  I realize that there were some one-time, non-recurring expenses that contributed to that loss.

 I would like to address the alarming, on-going cost of water and sewer operations brought about by the transition from knowledgeable employee-based operations to outside contractor operations.  In addition to the $7,000 per month (plus travel) that is paid to the 2 private contractors, you have expended $44,393 for water and sewer operations since August.  The resulting line item expense account for water and sewer operations was over budget by $44,443 for the fiscal year ended November 30, 2017.  I have listed the monthly costs below, based on the district’s records:

                   )  August       13,658.

                   )  September    4,360.

                   )  October       6,771.

                   )  November   19,604.

For anyone, wondering how these costs could have sky-rocketed, I will give you some background.  The former employees performed most of the operational tasks, with the exception of excavating and tank pumping; we now have an operator who answers the phone, at his convenience, and calls outside service providers to perform the work.

Reid’s annual cost to the district was $60,000, which equates to $28.85 per hour, including medical.  There was not any overtime or travel and he was on-call 24/7.

Each outside provider is being paid $125.00 an hour and the invoices I have been provided indicate that 2 of them respond, not just one.  That’s $250.00 an hour!  We paid $2,500 to install one water meter.   The former employees would have provided all the labor and the only additional cost would have been for excavating. Based on previous records, the average cost to excavate for a meter installation, was $300. In another instance, the district paid $200 per hour to repair a leaking  pipe at one of the pump houses, for a total cost of $800.

Who, on this board is approving these outrageous expenditures? The users of this district want to know.

For the 2018 fiscal year, which ends November 30, 2018, the board has budgeted  $89,000 for the two (2) private contractors plus an additional $68,000 for water and sewer operations. For the four month period, between August 1^st and November 30^th, a total of $44,393 has already been spent for water and sewer operations. This spending is unsustainable and fiscally irresponsible.

On behalf of the district user-base, I am petitioning this board to put a moratorium on all spending except for mandatory costs to keep the district operating until such time as this board adopts a revised budget for the fiscal year that realistically projects costs, based on what is actually being expended under your new contract based operations management.  This new budget process needs to happen now, not one month from now or 6 months from now. 

We, the users of the district are the folks who will have to pay the deficits being created here.  I might add, this will be in addition to the 100% increase in the monthly water rates that is being contemplated by this board in their preliminary LOI provided to DEQ regarding projected improvements to the water system.

Our other issue with this board, is Service.  The employee based operations management system actually provided us with service 24/7.   Now, the private contractor answers service calls at his convenience, even during normal business hours, and then calls a service provider who comes, if and when, they want to.

Ask Charlene Soppit how her service was with a broken pipe on Christmas Eve.

We want an answer to how this board intends to stop deficit spending and provide service to the district’s user base.

Sincerely,

Colleen Dahlseid