Water Board Begins Member Search, Prepares for System Rebuild

BLUE RIVER: A special meeting of the Blue River Water District on September 11 opened with discussion of an agreement to use the local library for board meetings. The proposed contract carried a $300 annual fee, but members questioned how many meetings the fee would cover. With the water system rebuild expected soon, it was thought up to 20 per year might need to be held.

The board did, however, unanimously approve a hold harmless indemnity agreement for the facility, authorizing the treasurer to sign the document, which establishes the board’s responsibility for members and guests while using the space.

An Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with Rainbow Water District was also approved, which will be forwarded to Rainbow’s board for final approval.

Another major topic was filling a vacant board seat. Antony Abel proposed opening the application process, and the board agreed to advertise the position for 10 days once confirmation comes from the Secretary of State’s office. It was noted that a response to a complaint about the vacancy had taken longer than the expected five-day turnaround.

Much of the meeting centered on the district’s water system rebuild project. A kickoff session had been held earlier that day with the contractor, Branch Land Improvement, as well as county officials and engineers. A community meeting is set for October 3 at 6 p.m. at McKenzie High’s new gymnasium, with letters of notification going out to all property owners. Construction is scheduled to begin October 15 under contractor Joel Zeni, with a two-year completion timeline.

Board members also discussed clarifying communication channels for the project, as there was some confusion about who residents should direct questions to. That issue will be revisited at the next meeting.

Other business included giving board member Josh Cloke a chance to meet with a credit card sales representative to address past concerns.

During public comments, a question was raised about the status of Tony Casad who was elected as a write in candidate. Until the Secretary of State makes a determination, the board will not go into details.

The next meeting, scheduled for Wednesday, October 1, is expected to include follow-ups on the library facility agreement and project communication protocols, as well as updates on the open board position.