Please note: This is an unofficial summary provided for general informational purposes only and is not intended to represent the official board meeting minutes.
A Lot Happened at This Month’s Water Board Meeting — Here’s the Recap
Tuesday night was the regularly scheduled TWSD board meeting at the Lodge. This one covered a lot of ground: a new board member, a new Chairman, an IPRA bottleneck, and a real debate over dumpster fees. Here’s a rundown of how it went.
First, the Numbers
Treasurer Josh McCurdy called the meeting to order at 5:00, and after the Pledge and the Zia salute, GM Wendy Case gave her report. The District produced 5.76 million gallons of water this month. Water loss figures won’t be available until the gallons-sold report comes in. She also thanked the community members who volunteered to help with F&S billing this month. F&S is the largest billing, going to every lot in Timberon, about 7500 individual bills to print, sort, and stamp with postage.
The IPRA Workload Is a Real Problem
This was the part of the meeting that was very concerning. The volume of public records requests (IPRAs) coming in has gotten intense enough that it contributed to the District losing a valuable staff member. GM Case walked the board through just how much work one of these requests actually involves: 3 to 4 pages per request, 7 to 8 questions per page, and up to 14 points to address per question. Then, of course, they need to make a hard copy or scan to email. Once you do that math, it’s easy to understand why she said it’s difficult to even quantify how many requests the District is fielding.
Compounding the issue, the two newest office staff aren’t yet trained on IPRA research, so the responsibility currently falls entirely on GM Case, on top of her existing workload. Later in the meeting, the board voted to authorize her to contact the District’s attorney directly on IPRA matters rather than waiting for a board meeting for approval. Hopefully this change will help manage that load and move things along more efficiently.
Another 900-piece mailer also went out this month addressing violations dating back to 2023.
Leak Detection & a Big Fine, Explained
Director Duckett gave an update on the Leak Detection project which he wants to expand to include a full water audit, plus a written water-loss-reduction plan due to the state by the end of next month. Submitting that plan on time will earn the District a 10% reduction on an associated fine.
The board also formally accepted the state’s compliance order tied to $62,620 in penalties from 2023–2025 violations. For every task on the compliance checklist the District completes, a corresponding percentage of that fine will be reduced, giving the District a clear incentive to work through it.
A New Point Person for SCADA
Director Duckett volunteered, and was unanimously appointed, as the board member responsible for overseeing the SCADA system going forward, including setting up secure remote access. SCADA is the system used to monitor the District’s water infrastructure, so having a dedicated point of contact for it is a practical step. Director Duckett has had experience with the previous SCADA system during his time as the General Manager.
A New Director — And a New Chairman
Three community members — Cathie Johnson, James Wilcox, and Joseph Pereira — put their names forward for the open Position 2 board seat, and after a roll call vote, James Wilcox was appointed. He was sworn in on the spot by the Board Secretary and he took his seat on the board.
The board had also been without a Chairman or Vice-Chairman for some time, so Treasurer McCurdy, the only officer still in place, opened the floor for Chairman nominations. Derenda Robb was nominated and elected unanimously. The board chose to leave the Vice-Chairman seat open until the next biennial election rather than fill it now.
Also on the Agenda
16 liens on Standby lots totaling $4,562.45 were approved without discussion.
The board approved hiring two seasonal staff members (3–6 months) — one for the office, and one to assist the crew with leak detection work.
Valarie Dwight of Discover Timberon, Inc. gave an update on improvements to the High Country Lounge and confirmed the golf course is covered under DTI’s insurance. Golf course upgrades are planned, but the Lounge is being addressed first.
Public Comment Raised Some Real Concerns
A community member asked about the status of foreclosures on delinquent accounts — the attorney has the three oldest liens in hand but hasn’t reported back yet.
The most substantial discussion centered on dumpster fees. One resident pointed out that off-grid and unimproved lot owners use the community dumpsters but don’t pay into them, meaning water-account customers are currently covering the entire cost. That sparked a broader conversation about a possible fee schedule for all property owners, not just water customers. Another resident reminded the board that a similar trash-fee proposal was brought to the community in 2025 and was rejected, so this remains an unresolved issue. Director Duckett suggested reviving the Budget Committee to take it up properly and asked that it be placed on next month’s agenda.
There was also an update on the dumpster site grant: training has begun, the District is searching for a required fiscal administrator, and a meeting with engineers is scheduled soon to finalize the design. Both the old and new sites will need to be permitted before work can move forward.
During open Q&A, a resident raised the issue of water hammering again and pushed for instrumentation to address it. There was also a brief exchange about who’s responsible for keeping the community ponds full, with TVFD Fire Chief Tony McWilliams named as the point person.
Wrapping Up
There were no director’s remarks, and the meeting adjourned at 6:53 PM.