Office of the Secretary Manager
Kittitas Reclamation District Board of
Directors Meeting
November 12, 2019 Minutes
The Board of Directors of
the Kittitas Reclamation District (KRD) met in Regular Session on November 12,
2019 at 1:00 p.m. Attending the meeting were Division Three Director and
Chairman Fred Schnebly, Division Two Director Ed Wakkuri, Division Four Director
Larry Bland, Division Five Director Paul Weaver, Secretary Manager Urban
Eberhart, Assistant Manager Kevin Eslinger, Field Supervisor Bob Main, Treasurer
Stacy Berg and Lands Clerk & RRA Specialist Sara Vickers. Also, in attendance
were KRD Accountant Mark Messner and land owners Janeice Jump and Connor Treat.
The amended agenda was
approved with the addition of an executive session for reasons consistent with
RCW 42.30.110(1)(i):(i). The motion was made by Director Wakkuri and the second
was made by Director Weaver. The motion passed unanimously.
The minutes for the October
8, 2019 Board Meeting were approved with a motion made by Director Bland and the
second was made by Director Wakkuri. The motion passed unanimously.
Public Comment: Mr. Treat
asked KRD to explain why a neighboring land owner was allowed access to the
canal road. Field Supervisor Main responded that neither Mr. Treat or the
neighbor in question were allowed access. There is a gate and only KRD personnel
had keys to the gate. Mr. Treat asked the Board to reconsider allowing access to
the two landowners. There was a lengthy discussion about the subject that
followed. It was determined that no access would be granted for either land
owner and the lock would be changed to ensure that there would be no
unauthorized use of the canal road.
Water Master Report: As
of November 12, 2019, the five reservoirs were at 19% capacity which is 63.5% of
average. The inflows to the five reservoirs is 22% and releases from the five is
95% of average. Precipitation at the reservoirs from November 1st to
date is .60 inches, or 4% of average and 1% of the months average. Precipitation
for the Water Year to date is 26.02 inches, or 80% of average. The KRD is
diverting 40 feet for Tributary Supplementation for delivery to Big, Little and
Tucker Creeks. On Little Creek the check structure was renovated to allow the
gate to be moved up and down with the use of a gear driven mechanism.
Maintenance Report: Field
Supervisor Main reported that cleaning is being done on the Main Canal upstream
of I-90. The crews are repairing head gates and have completed constructing two
new structures. Matheson Painting is scheduled to apply concrete sealing to the
Main Canal. The SPRAT Team started rope access work on the Yakima Syphon. The
inspection showed that last year’s repairs are holding well. There are some
panels at approximately the 600-foot depth of the syphon that are being
replaced.
Secretary Manager’s Activity
Report: Several Oregon agencies, interest groups and Tribal representatives
attended the Yakima Basin Integrated Plan Oregon Legislative/Yakama Tour on
October 9th & 10th. Lands Clerk & RRA Specialist Vickers
assisted with a significant portion of the preparation and implementation of the
tour.
Mr. Eberhart presented at
the AgForestry Columbia River Seminar in Vancouver, WA on October 11th.
On October 22nd,
Mr. Eberhart attended the Ruckelshaus Advisory Board Fall Meeting.
A presentation on the KRD
and the Yakima Basin Integrated Plan activities was provided by Mr. Eberhart and
other Integrated Plane Committee Members to the Washington State Department of
Fish and Wildlife Executive Management Team on October 23rd.
Mr. Eberhart participated in
a briefing to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), United States Fish and
Wildlife Service (USFWS), and the United States Army Corp of Engineers (USACE)
regarding the Yakima Basin Integrated Plan on October 25th in
Portland, OR.
Mr. Eberhart traveled to
Washington D.C. the week of October 28th to work on KRD and Yakima
Basin Integrated Plan Issues.
On November 6th,
Mr. Eberhart gave a presentation at the Washington State Department of Ecology
OPEN Conference in Lacey, WA.
Mr. Eberhart presented to
the United States Society for Irrigation & Drainage Professionals in Reno, NV on
November 7th.
KRD Consultant Joel Hubble
and Trout Unlimited Director Lisa Pelly described the KRD Tributary
Supplementation Program at the Legislative Upper Yakima Basin Tour on November 8th.
There was a brief discussion
providing an update on the Irrigation Director Election Process. KRD personnel
will continue to monitor this process.
Lands Clerk Vickers will be
attending an Easement Training Webinar on November 22nd.
Mr. Eberhart is working with
the other Yakima Basin Integrated Plan Partners on a flip flop impact study.
Once a scope is completed it will be presented to the Washington State
Department of Ecology to ask for funding assistance.
The Upper Yakima System
Storage Appraisal Phase II is in the final review stage. Once the contract is
granted the study will consist of evaluating and prioritizing various sites for
water storage.
The WaterSmart Water
Marketing Technical Advisory Meeting was held last week. This project is
ongoing.
The consultants are
continuing to work on the KRD Yakima Basin Focused Aquifer Recharge Assessment.
Field Supervisor Main
reported on the progress for the South Branch Phase I Reach 2-5. The
construction crews are on site, improving road access, clearing right-of-way,
removing trees, grinding stumps and started excavation on the canal. Work will
begin on the underdrain within the week. The KRD employees are assisting with
the construction management.
Matheson Painting was
awarded the bid for the Main Branch Conservation Project for $95,415.00. The
work is weather dependent. Director Weaver made a motion to approve change order
#1 for $38,166.00. A second was made by Director Bland, the motion passed
unanimously.
Director Weaver made a
motion to approve the repair work on the Lower Straight Wall that will be done
by Belsas & Smith for $23,018.04. A second was made by Director Bland, the
motion passed unanimously.
Treasurer’s Report: The
Directors’ monthly payroll vouchers were presented for signatures. Summary
Vouchers for the September 2019 expenses and the October 2019 payroll which
included check numbers 43641-43725, direct deposit numbers 9901758 through
9901773 in the sum of $354,828.42 were approved with a motion made by Director
Wakkuri. The second was made by Director Weaver, the motion passed unanimously.
Old Business: Lands Clerk &
RRA Specialist Vickers reported that the KRD is continuing to monitor the
Ellensburg Historic District Project. There was no further information on timing
available at the time.
There are two land owners
remaining on the 2019 Foreclosure List. KRD legal counsel
has been contacted by a bank for one of the properties. The remaining
land owner has contacted the KRD office and agreed to send payment for the
balance remaining.
Legal Counsel Slothower
reported that the procurement policy is going through a complete rewrite. The
updated policy is expected to be presented at the December Board Meeting.
Director Weaver asked for
clarification on the results of Mr. Stoval addressing the Board at the prior
Board Meeting. Legal Counsel Slothower advised that he wrote a letter and mailed
it, and has had no further response.
New Business: Director
Weaver made a motion to approve the renewal invoice for Cities Insurance of
Washington (CIAW) in the amount of $99,829.00 and the agent fee in the amount of
$5,000.00. A second was made by Director Wakkuri, the motion passed unanimously.
The KRD Accountant Mark
Messner presented the Board with advantages and disadvantages of reporting the
KRD Financial Statement in Cash Basis versus Generally Accepted Accounting
Principles (GAAP). After brief discussion Director Bland made a motion to
approve the transfer of reporting to Cash Basis from GAAP Basis. A second was
made by Director Wakkuri, the motion passed unanimously.
Director Bland made a motion
to approve the bid for the office window replacement to Jim’s Glass in the
amount of $40,497.46. A second was made by Director Wakkuri, the motion passed
unanimously.
After the 2020 Operations
and Maintenance Budget was presented, Director Bland made a motion to approve
the budget. A second was made by Director Wakkuri, the motion passed
unanimously. Director Wakkuri made a motion to increase the assessments by $2.00
per acre with 96.9% of the assessments allocated to Operations & Maintenance and
3.1% allocated to Construction Debt Repayment. The second was made by Director
Bland, the motion passed unanimously.
Director Bland made a motion
to pay the USBR 2019 Construction Contract 2nd Installment of
$53,371.02. The second was made by Director Wakkuri, the motion passed
unanimously.
Mr. Eberhart presented the
Petition of Nomination for Irrigation District Director that was submitted by
Director Wakkuri for the upcoming election period. No other submissions were
received.
Director Bland made a motion
to change the date of the December Board Meeting to December 10th.
The second was made by Director Wakkuri, the motion passed unanimously.
Director Weaver made a
motion to set the board of equalization and presentation of assessment roll call
at the board meeting on December 10th. A second was made by Director
Bland, the motion passed unanimously. The notice will be publicized in the
newspaper on November 18th.
Other Business: The Board
adjourned to Executive Session at 2:08 p.m. for 15 minutes per RCW
42.30.110(1)(i):(i) there was a motion made by Director Wakkuri and a second
made by Director Bland. The motion passed unanimously. Executive Session was
extended for an additional 5 minutes. The Board returned to Regular Session at
2:28 p.m. with a motion made by Director Wakkuri, and the second was made by
Director Weaver. The motion passed unanimously.
All business having been
concluded the meeting was adjourned.
______________________________________
Mr. Schnebly KRD Board of
Directors Chairman
______________________________________
Mr. Eberhart KRD Secretary
Manager