Meeting Minutes & Reports

Water usage for the last 30 day cycle was 591K gallons, 233K on Plat-Band358k on Plat-C. These numbers a 1K over last years readings and check well with traditional averages. 

 

The October coliform test went out on 10/12, we are currently up todateonall mandated testing. I also received my water license renewal in early September so I am good for another year. 

 

Plat-B #4 reservoir is due for a Drain/flush/clean, will try to get this doneASAP, weather permitting. All Plat-B pump control radio batteries will alsoget replaced prior to winter arriving. 

Well levels were checked and continue to decline, but are within previouslyrecorded levels. 

 

Rebuild parts have come in for the PRV vaults on Plat-C, will try to get that done also before real winter hits. If not at least we have the parts onhand. 

 

Water meters were read by Dan and Michelle in late September, a few meters had to be re-read but over all only a few mis-read/typos. The information has all been recorded and sent to accounting for processing. 2 homes had leak issues resulting in higher usage. Only a few meters went over 100K gallons usage. 

 

B-298, finally finished re-filling the trench for their water hook-up andnowwant their building deposit back. 

 

Waiting on C-449? Miller to access water stub for meter installation. As always no meters will be installed after November 15th, until mid April 2027. 

 

END REPORT

 

Water usage for the last 30 days was 886K, 387K on Plat-B and 499K on Plat-C. These numbers check well with traditional averages. Well levels continue to decline but are also within norms for this time of year.

The 2nd set of PFAS test have been sent to the lab and the results have been reported to the state, but I have not yet received hard copies. We are up to
date on all testing at this time. September coliform test went out on the 14th.

Waiting on contractor to open trench at C-449 Miller, for water meter install.

Also see that C-621 has begun a building application, not sure where we are on this one.

Water meters will be read next week and information sent to Tiffany for billing.

I have ordered parts to do rebuilds on both sets of PRV’s on Plat-C, waiting to see when they arrive.

No other new issues or leaks to report at this time.

END REPORT

• The board discussed Dan Fillion's proposal to formally bring on Kevin Beckstead, who has assisted with tractor operation, plowing support, road work, and general repairs for the POA over the past couple of years, as a part-time salaried employee. Dan would continue to supervise Kevin's day-to-day work; board members raised no concerns after Dan clarified the hourly-equivalent structure and reporting approach.
• MOTION: Ralph Lewis moved to approve Dan Fillion's proposal to bring on Kevin Beckstead at the proposed compensation. Seconded by Pia Bergholtz.
• Result: Motion carried; all in favor (Amy Karcher, Ralph Lewis, Rod Miles, Pia Bergholtz), none opposed.
  Amy agreed to follow up directly with Kevin Beckstead to extend the offer.

• The board held a preliminary discussion of officer and committee assignments for the coming year. No formal vote was taken; the board agreed to continue the discussion by email and finalize/ratify assignments at the September meeting. Discussion points included:
• Amy Karcher to continue as Treasurer; open to relinquishing the Secretary role but willing to continue in it if needed.
• Proposal (pending Nate Cason's confirmation, as he was not present) that Nate remain President.
• Rod Miles expressed willingness to serve as Vice President.
• Ralph Lewis to continue on the Amenities Committee; the Amenities Committee plans to select a new committee chair at its September meeting, per its policy of a two-year chair term (Ralph's current term is ending).
• Ralph Lewis to continue assisting Pia Bergholtz with the Compliance Committee as she moves into the chair role previously held by Michael Wade.
• Amy's husband, Ross Karcher, currently the member-at-large on the Amenities Committee, has indicated interest in rolling off that role; a replacement is to be identified.
• Amy raised the idea of involving Pia as a backup website administrator, given the overlap between the website and compliance-related content.

• The board briefly discussed ongoing amenities matters (Cooper's concession lease progress, the beach access/parking questions near hole #2, and the history of the beach lock/delineator situation) in an informal, non-decisional capacity; no motions were made on these topics.
• Rod Miles asked about the schedule for the next regular meeting; Amy confirmed the board meets on the third Tuesday of each month at 6:00 PM by default, and reviewed the standard agenda format (administrative items, water update, maintenance update, compliance update, financials/budget, and amenities).

• Nate Cason called the meeting to order and thanked members for attending. Members were directed to sign in and provide a current email address, and to complete and turn in their board election ballots before leaving.
• The board recognized Michael Wade for his years of board service; he did not seek re-election this year.
• Board members and attending property owners introduced themselves around the room.

• Finance & Technology Committee: Amy Karcher (chair), with support from Tiffany (bookkeeper).
• Compliance Committee: Michael Wade (outgoing chair), with Ralph Lewis, Brian Sievers, and Pia Bergholtz; Pia is transitioning into the chair role.
• Maintenance/Water staff: Dan Fillion, Lowell Howlett, and Kevin Beckstead; the board is also working to bring on a local, full-time resident in a part-time administrative/water-support role.

• Board meetings are now held virtually on the third Tuesday of each month at 6:00 PM and are open to all members; members can request the meeting link and submit agenda items via the "Contact Us" tab on the website.
• The board noted that member attendance at meetings has declined since the move to virtual, though it also was not consistently high when meetings were held in person.
• A new "Meeting Minutes and Reports" section has been created on the website. Amy acknowledged that minutes are behind on posting and committed to catching up (see also the board's discussion of outstanding June/July minutes).

• The POA has shifted from magnesium chloride to a polymer product ("RhinoSnot") for dust abatement on POA-responsibility roads; one container was purchased this year, with savings redirected to road base for Upper Juniper and Comanche Drive.
• The county completed culvert and drainage work and dust abatement on Mountain Way this year; members were asked to remind guests towing trailers/boats to avoid spinning tires, which accelerates washboarding.
• The board will continue to press the county on grading/road-base support for Cold Springs and other roads outside the POA's direct responsibility.

• Reminder of prohibited items in the roll-off dumpsters (furniture, appliances, tires, construction waste, paint, large branches); improperly disposed items can result in added disposal costs to the POA.
• The beach gate code is the same as the garbage/dumpster code.
•  

• In January, a water main leak on the south end of Red Pine Drive (from a repair roughly a decade old) was repaired using an outside excavator, with only brief water shutoffs to two homes.
• A small four-wheel-drive tractor purchased in fall 2025 has been used to mow fire breaks along POA borders and maintain the trail between Plats B and C.
• Lowell Howlett rebuilt and rewired a significant stretch of the POA's perimeter fence this spring, performed largely in-house; an outside bid for the same fence work had come in around $30,000.
• Approximately 10 loads of road base have been spread on POA roads this year to address gravel loss and surfacing boulders.
• All POA equipment is in working order and being prepared for the winter season.

• Water meters are POA property, but homeowners are responsible for keeping them clear of debris and accessible for reading; failure to do so may result in an additional charge (roughly $50–$150, depending on the work required).
• Members were asked not to remove the blue paint/markers used to locate meters, and to contact Dan directly with any water-related requests (DEF3315@aol.com).

• The POA's website was redesigned in recent years at a lower ongoing cost (~$750–800/year) than the prior maintenance arrangement; a ticketing system now routes member requests to the appropriate committee or staff member.
• Billing has moved to a single annual cycle instead of two; credit card (3%) and ACH (1%) merchant fees will now be automatically passed through to members who choose those payment methods via a QuickBooks pilot program, rather than being absorbed by the POA (previously costing about $4,000/year).  This pass-through of fees is intended to avoid a dues increase.
• The website does not currently support online dues payment directly; invoices are paid through QuickBooks-generated payment links.
•  

• The board reviewed the FY2026 budget-to-actual report (seven months of actuals against a twelve-month budget; the POA has used accrual accounting since 2024).
• Of three previously severely delinquent properties, one has since sold with all funds recovered; the POA has engaged a new attorney and is pursuing liens/foreclosure on the remaining two.
• The POA maintains a dedicated $100,000 reserve for water-system infrastructure, funded annually through a capital improvement transfer, and carries no loans or debt on any POA assets.
•  

• Amy Karcher presented the proposed FY2027 budget, prepared using a three-year historical average plus year-to-date trends. Notable changes include increased projected bank interest income; reallocation of previously planned administrative funds toward a new part-time water/administrative hire; increased insurance costs; a lower bank-fee budget line reflecting the shift to passing through merchant fees; and modest increases to legal and tax lines. The budget is intentionally balanced to zero net income, with any surplus directed to the capital improvement and contingency funds.
• MOTION: To approve the FY2027 budget as presented.
• Result: Motion passed by voice vote; no opposition.

• Rod Miles agreed to be added to the ballot for the board election. With Michael Wade not seeking re-election, the three open seats were filled by three candidates: Amy Karcher, Pia Bergholtz, and Rod Miles.
• Three write-in spaces will also be included on the ballot.
• Per the CC&Rs, election materials must be distributed no less than 10 and no more than 30 days before the annual meeting. Amy to coordinate with Tiffany to send the ballot and meeting announcement.
• The 2026 Annual Meeting was confirmed for Saturday, August 15, 2026 at 10:00 AM (the third Saturday this year, due to Raspberry Days falling on the second Saturday). Format to mirror prior years: POA business followed by a joint session with the HOA on amenities, starting around 11:30 AM.
• The board reviewed and refreshed the draft annual meeting slide deck (introductions, committee updates, HOA Act of 2022 overview, compliance statistics, dust abatement, etc.), to be finalized over email.

• Water usage for the prior 30 days totaled 855,000 gallons (289,000 on Plat B; 566,000 on Plat C), consistent with 10-year historical averages; figure includes hydrant testing/flushing.
• A pinhole leak was discovered in a Plat C pressure-reducing vault (PRV) on July 20, requiring the scheduled coliform sample to be cancelled and re-sent after repairs, chlorination, and hydrant flushing. Results were pending at meeting time.
• Dan purchased a used deep-well water level monitor for the Plat C well with personal funds (~$1,100 vs. ~$3,000 new) and has submitted for reimbursement through QuickBooks; Amy to help track down status with Nate/Tiffany.
• Static well levels remain close to historical baseline (Plat C within about a foot of the level recorded in the original 1990s driller's log); normal seasonal drawdown of 6–6.5 feet on Plat C, similar pattern on Plat B.
• Water meter/service work continues at the Houslip property (Plat C, #298); excavation for a water line tie-in was in progress. Return of the property's deposit remains on hold, per prior board guidance, until excavation and site restoration are complete.
• A minor unaccounted water loss is being monitored; if it does not resolve on its own, Dan plans to check individual meters in August.
• The Solinist water-level sensor project (an R&D pilot) is still being worked through; existing older sensors continue to function in the meantime.

• Greenhouse construction question: the CC&Rs do not clearly address a $500 small-project fee or board-approval requirement for greenhouses. Board consensus: a greenhouse qualifies as a small project requiring a building application, fee, and board approval; Pia/Amy to send a letter to the homeowner.
• Shed proposal (Dutch Canyon lot): although the structure is under the county's 200-sq-ft permit threshold, the board's consensus was that CC&R board approval is still required for any structure, contingent on no significant change to footprint or exterior color. Follow-up with the homeowner for a site plan was still pending.
• General discussion of simplifying the CC&Rs / building-application FAQ so members can self-serve answers; agreed to add a link from the CC&Rs page to the FAQ section. Broader CC&R modernization (last updated 2014, some sections in tension with the Idaho HOA Act of 2022) was discussed as a future project, likely requiring paid administrative support rather than volunteer board time.

• Golf course revenue is tracking ahead of last year; no major irrigation repairs this year.
• Replaced slippery steps/bridge decking near the clubhouse with non-slip material following a slip-and-fall incident.
• New golf cart staging area completed and working well; pool, hot tub, pickleball, and tennis courts all seeing good/increased use.
• No report received from the beach committee; Terry has resigned from the beach committee amid disagreement over a proposed parking-area/road project near hole #2, which the board considers cost-prohibitive and not on amenities property. A swim platform/flotation option for the beach is being explored as an alternative.

• Walked through the draft FY2027 budget: legal increased to $1,500 (reflecting attorney engagement on two lien filings); income/property tax and office supplies/website/postage (~$5,000, including the QuickBooks subscription) increased to align with actual spend; water testing/lab, electricity, and propane lines adjusted down to better reflect historical actuals; capital improvement and contingency funds kept intact.
• Reviewed year-to-date financials; several lines (accounting/admin labor) are tracking under budget. Flagged that plowing coverage may need a contracted vendor if in-house staffing isn't secured.
• No formal vote was taken on the budget in this meeting due to lack of quorum; further review continued at the Annual Meeting.

July is generally a slow/catch up month for maintenance, increased population and recreational use make it more difficult to do certain projects like road repairs. That being said here are some things that did get done.

 

Area around the Plat-B well house was mowed for a 2nd time, the area west of dumpsters along the fence line was mowed for fire break. The area above the Plat-B #4 reservoir was mowed for a fire break and the lower 1/2 of the North fence line was mowed a 2nd time.

 

I met with Rod Miles and Nate and am ready to go ahead with the sewer road relocation project as soon as weather permits, a little to hot and dry at the moment.

 

All POA equipment is up and running, annual fleet service will be done this fall, including oil changes, grease jobs and fluid level checks.

 

Will review budget VS actual next month to see where we have funds available for maintenance/improvement projects.

 

                                                                END REPORT

• Rock was added near the dumpster/garbage area last month, which members noted as a visible improvement.
• Routine maintenance is otherwise light this time of year; roads will be finished up and the team will monitor for water line breaks during the busy summer weeks.
• RhinoSnot dust-abatement product has arrived and will be applied over the next 2–3 weeks on Juniper Drive and Comanche Drive (where new road base was recently placed), with any remainder used on Mountain Way or other areas as needed.
• Lowell completed fence repairs at the shop and maintenance shed and removed old fence wire; general mowing was done near the entryway and well house, with more planned near the Plat B #4 tank.
• The county completed work on Mountain Way this year: approximately 40 loads of road base, roller-packing, magnesium chloride dust abatement, and new/extended culverts, including one at the south end of Dutch Canyon and Mountain Way.
• The county fire department will implement a total burn ban starting June 20 due to dry conditions ahead of the holiday weekend; members with brush/debris to burn were advised to do so before that date.

• Water usage for the last 30-day cycle was 451,000 gallons (179,000 on Plat B; 272,000 on Plat C) — well under the roughly one million gallons typical for July, with no signs of overuse. Dan noted several longtime members indicating they will visit less or not at all this year due to health or other personal circumstances.
• Last month's coliform test came back clear (coliform absent); this month's sample was sent out and results were expected by the end of the week.
• A second annual PFAS test is required later this year; Dan must wait until after the end of July to meet the state's required spacing between tests.
• Hydrant flushing on Plat C is complete; Dan is documenting static pressure and flow (GPM) test results for Bear Lake Fire and will keep a file for future reference.
• The annual Consumer Confidence Report has been prepared (100 copies for the annual meeting and community bulletin boards/mailboxes); the state reporting deadline has moved up to July 1 (from the prior October deadline). Dan will also send Amy a digital copy for the website.

• Water tank murals: Pia had gathered photos of the existing murals; the board's consensus (reached over email since the last meeting) was that the murals, while faded, still look acceptable, and that the cost of repainting would be difficult to justify to members. No action was taken; the item remains open in case a volunteer or lower-cost option arises. Dan noted a bid obtained previously was higher than expected.
• Road alignment item: still pending a follow-up conversation with Rod Miles.
• Fence project: the board confirmed a small bonus was given to Lowell for his work on the fence project.

• Given ongoing scheduling conflicts among Michael Wade, Amy, and Pia, the board agreed the compliance committee should meet separately to review tickets in advance of each board meeting, with the board meeting itself serving as an update on ticket status going forward.
• Ralph's garage building application: Michael confirmed plans looked acceptable but had not seen confirmation of the application fee/bond; a ticket was assigned to Tiffany to confirm receipt of the fee and bond.
• 188 Red Pine (Scott and Barbie Miller's new home, adjacent to their existing house): plans were submitted by the builder, but a formal building application had not yet been received. Dan had already reached out to the builder to explain the required process; the ticket was noted as in progress.
• Several other new tickets were reviewed and routed: two items from a member were assigned to Tiffany for handling, one compliance question was reassigned to Pia, and one ticket regarding septic/perc tests was closed after clarifying the community is connected to sewer (no septic permitted).
• General spam/solicitation tickets (from realtors, web design vendors, etc.) are typically closed by Amy after a brief response where appropriate.
• Follow-up on the Comanche Drive property where vegetation had been cleared: Michael reported the owner had been contacted, was compliant, and intended to reseed; Brian noted the area still looked barren on recent drive-bys. The board agreed to add a comment to the ticket to confirm whether seed has been put down.

• Ralph was not present; the amenities committee had met the prior week. Ross Karcher (member-at-large) gave a brief, informal update: the board is working with Reid on revising the Cooper's concession lease, including the balance of fixed rent versus percentage/revenue-share rent. The golf course (Ted) continues to perform well with no major issues, though the board is still awaiting an update on a larger irrigation overhaul.
• Terry (beach committee) had no significant updates, aside from continued interest in exploring a floating dock option, which the board was not convinced was a good idea but did not object to her researching further.
• In response to a member question, Amy clarified that the Cooper's tenant situation (staying or changing) remains undecided; a new lease is being drafted regardless of who the eventual tenant is, since the current lease terms are not being renewed as written. Business performance at Cooper's was reported verbally as roughly flat year-over-year; the board wants more formal periodic reporting built into the new lease.

• Of three previously severely delinquent properties, one has since sold and been paid off in full through the title settlement. The board's attorney has been authorized to proceed with filing liens on the remaining two delinquent properties; an update from the attorney was still pending.
• A system-wide outage at Mountain America Credit Union around June 1 temporarily blocked access to bank statements needed to close the books for the month; access was restored after a delay, and Tiffany was able to complete the financial statements.
• The board reviewed year-to-date financials. Most lines are tracking to budget; water billing and any building-application/water-hookup income had not yet been recorded (billing occurs later in the year). A few line items appeared skewed due to timing of an amenities pass-through repayment (returning a prior deposit) and merchant-fee categorization; Amy will work with Tiffany to confirm proper accounting treatment before finalizing and redistributing the financials.
• Amy asked Tiffany to prepare a draft FY2027 budget for board review; anticipated areas of change include rising insurance costs and a review of merchant-fee budgeting. The intent is to finalize the budget over email and vote on it at the next (July) meeting, ahead of presenting it at the August annual member meeting.
• The 2026 Annual Meeting date was confirmed as Saturday, August 15 (moved off the second Saturday, August 8, due to Raspberry Days), at the same venue used in prior years.

All tractors and Ford F-550 have beed converted to summer use, plow/chains removed buckets installed, tractors greased.

2 loads of gravel were spread in dumpster area. New solar pannels and battery seem to have improved gate operation.

3 loads of road base spread on North half of Comanche Dr.
3 loads of road bsae spred in mid section of Juniper Dr.

 

Trailhead Parking area completed, 2 loads od road base spread there, new sinage installed. Trail cleared and mowed for spring use.

 

New signs posted at well houses and small shop, old ones faded out over time.

Getting ready to order 1 tote of Rhino Snot dust abatement fluid, need to wait for warmer night temps to avopid freezing. Will apply to areas with new road base first then spread any left over where needed most.

Lowell has nearly completed the BLM fence, I think a small bonus would be in order as it was a lot of work, most of which he did by himself, saving the POA a fair amount of money.

 

Waiting for some direction from Board on road issue with Roderic Miles. Can do whatever road adjustment need to be done, just need to know what you have decided.

Water usage for the last 30 day cycle was 236K gallons, 112K on Plat-B and 124K on Plat-C. These numbers check well with traditional averages.
May colform test went out on 5/11 and came back coliform absent. Nitrate tests were also taken from both wells, waiting for results to come back. PFAS tests also came back
no PFAS detected. We are up to date on all mandated testing at this time.

Fire hydrants have been sprayed for weed controll, still need to get out and flush them, waiting for weather to cooperate. Also the Bear Lake County Fire district wants me to
preform pressure and flow tests on all POA hydrants and provide the results to them. This will take some extra time to accomplish.

 

Waiting for excavators on Lots B-298 and B-186, so I and install water meter assys. Let me know if we get any more building applications that require meter installs.

 

All Plat-B pump control radio batteries have been replaced at this time, have had several pumping issues on Plat-B in the last couple of weeks, but straightened out at the present
time, old wiring and defective control floats were the main issues.

Water system repairs are tracking over budget, but this is because several items that should be accounted differently made the repair list. I will get with Amy and Tiffany to
clairify.

The system remains tight, no leaks or other majoe issues to report ant this time.
END REPORT

The Plow and chains were removed from the 570 MXT tractor for road and fire break work, other plows will be pulled in the coming weeks for summer roads work.

The burn pile near the trail between plats was burned in early April and went well, Lowell and Kevin each spent some time helping Dan out to be sure things stayed safe.

Dan finished leveling ground along the North fence line to improve the fire break. Lowell has been working on the fence line to keep the cows out when they arrive in early to mid May.

The County came in and added/ repaired culverts between the Plats for drainage and cut the barrow pit in that same area. They also added some road base over the new culverts. I think they plan to add more road base to Mountain Way when they return to do some dust abatement later this spring.

I am waiting for Mother Nature to decide if Spring is really here, before ordering some road base for upgrades on Juniper Dr and Comanche Dr. Planning to put at least 3 loads on each roads, in areas where needed.

DF

Water usage for the last 30 days was 213K gallons, 96K on Plat-B and 124K on Plat-C. These numbers show a reduction on Plat-C numbers and over all check well with recent averages.

April coliform test will go out on 5/20, last months test was colifom absent.

PFAS test results did not detect PFAS in our well water. POA is currently up to date on mandted testing.
The pump radio battery was replaced on Plat-B #3 reservoir on 4/5, and that part of the system has been functioning properly. Will be replacing the other Plat-B batteries in the next few weeks, weather permitting.
Still need to to more set up work on the Solnist telemtry system to get it up and working so we can go ahead with further testing.

I did spend 3 days in Pocatello doing 14 hours of Utility Management Training and passed the test, so I now have a 3 year certification in Utility Management, from NRWA Utility Pro Academy. I will be in Pocatello later this week for a 6 hr DEQ training on PFAS, Lead/Copper and CCR issues as well.

No other major issues or leaks to report at this time.

 

DF

Dumpster gate had some minor issues with the electric eye that senses whether the access is blocked, I realigned it and it seems to be working OK. 1 new Solar panel was added to the system last month. I will be adding a second one soon and an additional battery which should increase reliability.

 

I tried to use our 570 loader and box scraper to reduce the potholes on Mountain Way a week or so ago, but the big slush storm caused the effort to be futile. Fortunately the County came by on 3/9 and did a decent job of grading it. The County will be back in a few weeks to grade all of their roads in the POA. Not sure yet what dust abatement they are planning if any this year.

We had a flat tire on the 570 LXT loader, I put the spare on and took the flat to town for repair.
Seems like winter may be over, the good news is that snow pack in the upper elevations is within the normal range and the recent rains/slush storms have brought some much needed moisture to the area. Still very worried what fire season is going to look like.

The County Fire Marshal is asking for a new permanent levy that will add about $60 per $100K of propert value to your tax bill, if it passes. No sure what he will do with the funds, there is a meeting at the Reserve on 3/12 for him to explain.

Will begin fence repairs as soon as things dry out a bit more, followed by mowing a few more new fire breaks. Will pick up more fence wire when in Soda next week.

Need to decide whether to do dust abatement on our POA roads this year or spend that money to get 9 additional loads of road base to make existing roads better/wider, then dust abate next year.

Water usage for the last 30 day was 232k gallons, 98K on Plat-B and 134K on Plat-C.
These numbers check well with historical data.

PFAS tests were taken and sent to the lab on 2/23, will have to take another set after the end of June.

March Coliform test went out on 3/9, February test came back coliform absent.

The new pump control float in #2 reservoir was defective and has been replaced with a new one and is working well at this time, an additional failure of a small transformer a res #2 was also noted. A replacement transformer is on order and should arrive next week. Until then I must run the #2 pump manually to sent water up to res #3.

 

The guys from Mountain West Water called recently and will finally be sending a quote to take over the Water System Backup position. I will FWD to board for their review.

 

I have begun to try working with the New Solinst water level meter/radio system. So far it is giving me some set up problems, I can get the radios to communicate but the are not processing the sensor data. Might be a defective cable attachment. Will continue to work on issue and advise.

No other leaks or major issues to report ant this time.

Due to the warmer/drier Winter season this year there is not a lot to report at this time. That being said all POA equipment is currently operational, with the possible exception of the Dodge 3500 Plow that is in the care of Lowell.

Very wet/rainy weather caused some problems with roads and drainage early on this winter, and will be a factor again if we see a warm wet spring.

The Dumpster gate is back in service at this time, and a spare belt for the drive motor is on order. Looking at doing some possible upgrades to this system come spring or early summer to improve reliabilty.
Budget wise we are ahead of the game in several areas as we have not had to burn much fuel or heat the shop for repairs or pay additional help to keep up with plowing or plow related repair issues.

Mother Nature can be fickle, and I hope/expect we will see some fairly strong spring storms in the coming weeks. If we do not see any increase in rain/snowfall then we will need to be very careful with fire this summer.

Water usage for the last 30 days cycle was 283K gallons, 93K on Plat-B and 190K on Plat-C. These number are higher than the last year or two, but do reflect the leak on Plat-C which was not fully repaired until Januray 6th and a Plat-B tank#4 float icing issue on Jan 30th with caused a 4 hour over pumping event which also cause some system loss.

DEQ has updated and changed our testing requirements for this year adding two sets of PFAS tests at each well, 1 set in the first half and another set in the second half of the year. I have been in touch with the Anateck lab in Mocsow ID, they are sending 2 sample kits later this month. I will probably take the tests and send them in byy month end. February coliform test will go out on Feb 9th, last months coliform tset was good.

I did get the first batch of Solinst equipment ordered and it has been shipped, cost around $4500. The items should arrive next week, I will unpack and begin familiarizing myself with the products and begin the program/software set up over the next two/three weeks. Field testing will start in March.

 

As for the Plat-C water main repair, it went well and I can see a nice change in system usage. Traditionally the Plat-C well pumed once every 24 hours during slow use periods, that interval has now changed to once every 40 hours. We should see a total puming reduction on Plat-C well over the course of this year. The current telemetry trend line is the flattest I have ever seen on Plat-C, it dose still show a slight level decline but
is certainly much improved.

Main well levels were checked this week and good news, Plat-B well is at 95 feet and Plat-C well is at 64 feet, theses are about a 5 foot increase from October readings. With the dry winter we will have to see how the levels hold out through the summer months, as I doubt they will go any higher unless we get a lot of Spring moisture.

 

I spoke with Jeff Cook our IRWA Circut Rider last month about having a full Water Rate Study done by IRWA, he said there would be a charge to do this if we requested a full staff study by them. He then told me that he did have software that could do pretty much the same type of comparission for free if I provided system information and expense/usage numbers. I sent him everything I could come up with along with our past and present Rate schedules, miles of pipe in ground, # of hook ups, hydrants and valves. He will run that through his program and let us know how it looks.

The higher than average temperatures and rain events have caused a number of road erosion issues, usually by this time of year all roads are frozen solid and run off does not occur until the spring thaw. The red Pine/Juiper intersection has been regraded several times due to washouts, upper juniper was graded and I have used a fair amount of road base to attempt to fill pot holes on Mountain way, as well as trying to deep grade some of the worst areas there.

Snow plowing, when necessary has gone well, except that Lowell is still having problems with the Dodge. Kevin has taken a full time winter job and may not be available to help if real winter conditions arrive as expected with in the next few weeks.

As noted in the water report the water leak on Red Pine has been repaired.

I will be ordering some more fuel in the next week or two, to see us thru to spring.

The dumpster gate failed and was wired open until Lowell can get keys to open up the apparatus and decide if he can figure out how to fix it, he would like us to have Rocky Mountain power run an electrical service to run the gate, but as I seem to recall that might cost $5-10K to accomplish, which is why we went with solar in the first place.

Water usage for the Last 30 days was 427K gallons, 102K on Plat B and 235K on Plat C. The Plat C numbers are high as we had a 15 GPM leak on Red Pine Dr for about 2 weeks.

Red Pine Dr, the water leak on Red Pine has been repaired. The issue was a gasket blow out on an old repair from about 10 years ago. The area was excavated by Clint Bethers and Dan a 40 inch section of pipe was replaced and a new 6” connector was installed near the a 22.5 elbow, a thrust block was laid and the area refilled. So Far it looks like the repair is holding up well and telemtry shows a reduction in water loss from prior to the leak surfacing, so it may have been leaking at a lesser rate for quite sone time. I will FWD Clint Bethers bill to accounting when he submits it to me. I ordered 2 more loads of road base to rehab the roadway, it should come later next week.

 

The January coliform test was sent out on 1/5/26

 

Two of the aquaguage level sensors on Plat-B have failed again, I will try to repair next week. I plan to go ahead and order the first approved set of Solnist level logger equipment later this month so I can begin the testing process to see if this system will work to replace the aquaguage system.

 

I would like the board to consider having sunrise engineering begin work on an engineering/design improvement plan for the lower 3 Plat-B reservoirs. It would basically be a single design effort to add an additional pump and control panel to each of those reservoirs to increase reliability/redundancy for Plat-B. As the reservoirs are all basically the same design 1 engineering plan would cover all three upgrades. Once completed, that plan could be submitted to DEQ for approval. Once approved by DEQ, POA could then upgrade 1 reservoir a year or every other year over the course of several years to spread the costs out. I do not know what all this will cost but expect it to be $60-100K per reservoir depending on the final design. The engineering cost would probably be around $30K ? small backup generators could also be purchased/installed to insure the ability to transfer water during a fire, as we have seen the power company shut power down during wild fire events. This is part of what I have wanted to still discuss with our Board President.

No other leaks/issues to report at this time.