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 Packed House for a Big Night at TWSD
If you weren’t in the room at the Lodge this past Tuesday, you missed something you don’t see every day out here — a full house. Somewhere between 30 and 40 neighbors turned out for the July 14th Timberon Water & Sanitation District board meeting, filling up seats that are usually pretty easy to come by, and standing room against the back wall. With all the water issues we’ve been having the last few months, it turns out that was what it took to bring folks out.
A New Face on the Board
The big item on the agenda was filling the open Director seat vacated by Caleb Flora last month. Five people applied, and three came out to introduce themselves and make their case to the board and the community before the vote.
Sherry Tackett talked about her background at UNM Hospitals, where she worked in a number of administrative roles over the years — contract management, procurement, inventory, that kind of behind-the-scenes operational work that keeps a large organization running.
Cathie Johnson shared her military background, and it showed — she brought a service-minded, get-it-done attitude to her remarks.
Arden Schug spoke about his time on previous TWSD boards, and it’s clear he’s got a deep, hands-on familiarity with our water system from years of direct involvement.
After hearing from all three, the board opened nominations. Sherry Tackett picked up unanimous support in a roll call vote, sworn in by Secretary Thorell — Oath of Office and all — and took her seat at the table for the rest of the meeting. Welcome aboard!
With the new appointment, the board decided to hold off on electing a Vice-Chair until the next biennial election, when a permanent replacement will be chosen anyway.
Money, The Pump, and a Major Leak
GM Wendy Case ran through her usual manager report update, and there was a lot in it this month:
The wells produced a combined 5.4 million gallons — The plant well and the golf course well both pulling their weight.
Two new office hires: Valerie is now the Billing Clerk, and Lydia is at the Front Desk to provide customer service by phone and walk-ins.
A new meter reader caught a leak at a home meter — 720,000 gallons’ worth, running at 21 gallons a minute and was immediately shut off. Good catch.
The plant’s transfer pump is on its way out and needs replacing. More on that below.
Board members are now required to complete 12 hours of state-mandated training — six hours on finance, six on Board Compliance.
On the money side, Treasurer Josh McCurdy reported the district’s various accounts are all being tracked closely, and he had encouraging news from a meeting with the New Mexico Finance Authority: they’re aware of the challenges this board inherited, they want Timberon to succeed, and they’re willing to help get things back on track. They specifically praised GM Case for being responsive and efficient. There’s also a meeting coming up with the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED).
The Pump Problem
Speaking of that transfer pump, Chairman Otis Price said the replacement is already in motion. It’s expected to arrive in Alamogordo soon and hopefully be installed by the end of the week. They are still waiting on numbers, so once the district has a firm price for the pump and installation, an emergency meeting will likely be called so the board can formally approve the funds. Otis also mentioned a promising lead on possible emergency funding through a contact at the Emergency Operations Center – he’s following up this week.
Getting Serious About Collections
The board tackled a couple of tougher, longer-standing issues too. They approved 18 liens on Standby lots totaling $4,430.10, following the district’s standard process — years of delinquent bills and multiple notice letters before a lien against a property ever gets filed.
The board voted to move forward with the district’s first foreclosure on a delinquent Standby fee property, starting with the oldest active lien on the books. Director Duckett made the case plainly — the district has a fiscal responsibility to collect what it’s owed. After years of filing liens without following through, it’s time to actually go through the process — to learn the true cost of foreclosing, and what it takes to recover both the lien amount and those additional costs (legal fees, etc.).
Hunting Leaks and Watching the System Remotely
Two more forward-looking items passed unanimously:
A new leak detection crew, made up of current field staff and volunteers, will start working road-by-road to check valves, meters, and any signs of leaks — part of a broader push to show NMED some real progress on reducing water loss before any big system-replacement grant might come through.
The district is also expanding remote SCADA viewing, so water operators, the GM, and one designated board member will be able to monitor the system’s controls remotely – closing a gap that could otherwise delay response to problems.
The Community Had Plenty to Say
The public comment period ran long, and it was clear folks came with real questions:
One resident suggested looking into internal pipe lining as an option.
Questions came up about the status of the district’s other wells — TBox, Starr, and the Springs — all of which Chairman Price said have various issues before they could be put into the system.
On the Springs specifically, GM Case explained it needs three months of testing before it can rejoin the system, plus some historical data that has to be rebuilt.
Fire Chief McWilliams weighed in on infrastructure priorities, pushing for the line from the plant to the tanks to get attention — Chairman Price agreed the current route to Tank 2 is inefficient and needs rerouting.
One resident, clearly ready to see some progress, put it best: “When can we start digging!”
Questions about district finances got a candid answer from Treasurer McCurdy: he and the GM have been working the numbers together, and the district is still owed more than two million dollars in delinquent revenue built up over many years. If everyone would pay their fair share, the District would be in a much better position today.
Residents asking where to turn for outside help were pointed toward U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich and U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez.
And on the dumpster/garbage grant question
Good news, bad news. The district was approved for a grant to fund dumpster improvements, but the grantor wants a fiscal administrator in place first before releasing the money. GM Case and Treasurer McCurdy have a meeting lined up this week to work on exactly that.
Bottom Line
Between a new board member, a test-foreclosure vote, a leak detection program getting off the ground, and a packed room full of engaged neighbors, this was about as busy a meeting as Timberon has seen in a while. Welcome to the board, Director Tackett — you’re stepping in at a pretty eventful time.