Office of the Secretary Manager
Kittitas Reclamation District
Board of Directors Meeting
April 4, 2017 Minutes
The Board of Directors of
the Kittitas Reclamation District met in Regular Session on April 4, 2017 at
1:00 p.m. at the Kittitas Valley Fire and Rescue Station 2-9 at 1:00 p.m.
Attending the meeting were Division One Director and Chairman Mark Hansen,
Division Four Director and Vice Chairman Larry Bland, Division Three Director
Fred Schnebly, Division Two Director Ed Wakkuri, Division Five Director Paul
Weaver, Secretary Manager Urban Eberhart, Legal Counsel Jeff Slothower,
Assistant Manager Kevin Eslinger, Office Manager and Treasurer Barbara Pettit,
Field Supervisor & Water Master Bob Main, and GIS IT / Water Quality Specialist
Roger Satnik, Jason Smith of Jacobs Engineering Group, and landowner Janeice
Jump.
Also in attendance were
Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement Project (YRBWEP)
Manager Gwendoline Christensen, from the U. S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR),
Columbia - Cascades Area Office, with her Project Manager Teresa Merriman,
Floodplain Properties Manager Jeanne Demorest, Project Manager
Richard Visser, Fish Biologist / Project Manager Joel Hubble,
Technical Writer
Karen Dera, Resource Conservationist Elayne Hovde – Knudson (NRCS), Fish
Biologist Pat Monk (USFWS), and Conservation Specialist Stan Isley (ECY).
Other USBR attendees were
Yakima Field Office Manager Chad Stuart and Yakima Field Office O&M Manager
Chris Wright.
Guests from the Washington
State Department of Ecology (ECY) were YBIP Technical Projects Manager Danielle
Squeochs, Hydrogeologist Melissa Downes and Legislative Report Writer Jennifer
Stephens.
The agenda was approved with
the addition of an executive session for reasons consistent with RCW
42.30.110(1) (g) and RCW 42.30.110 (1) (i):(i). The motion was made by Director
Weaver and the second was made by Director Schnebly. The motion passed
unanimously.
Kittitas Reclamation
District Board of Directors, Staff and guests were introduced to the agency
personnel.
Information
on YRBWEP and the Integrated Plan was presented by
Gwendoline Christensen, Jeanne Demorest and Patrick Monk. All agency visitors left after
the presentation.
The minutes
of the March 7, 2017 meeting were approved with a motion made by Director Weaver
and the second made by Director Bland. The motion passed unanimously.
Water Update:
Mr. Main presented the current water supply information from the United States
Bureau of Reclamation. The storage is at 63% capacity with Lake Easton at the
operating level. Storage is at
101.2% of average with April precipitation at 33% of average, 220% of average
for March and 108% of average for the year.
Snotel sites are at 102% in the Upper Basin sites and 106% in the Lower
Basin sites.
The 2017
water turn on date was set for no later than April 14, 2017 and the allotment
was set at 2.50 cfs per irrigable acre with a motion made by Director Weaver and
a second by Director Schnebly. The motion passed unanimously.
Maintenance
Update: Mr. Main reported that the field crews are in the process of finishing
structures and preparing for water turn on. Matheson aqualastic application is
scheduled and will be applied in the new cement area at the rock trap and in the
Hayward Hill area. The application should be completed by April 14, 2017.
Mr. Main explained the Rock Trap is scheduled for completion before April
14, 2017.
Public
Comment: There were no comments from
the public.
Secretary
Manager’s Activity Report: Mr. Eberhart updated the Board on Integrated Plan
information and reviewed multiple meetings that he attended over the past month.
Mr. Eberhart requested approval for
travel to Portland and Washington D.C. in April, 2017.
A motion made by Director Wakkuri and a second made by Director Schnebly
approved the travel. The motion passed unanimously.
Jason Smith,
Jacob’s Engineering presented information on the South Branch Design Project
explaining the plan set is at 30% design. Mr. Eberhart requested authorization
to sign the Modification-1. A motion made by Director Schnebly and a second made
by Director Bland authorized Mr. Eberhart to sign the Modification. The motion
passed unanimously. Jason Smith provided updated information on the Whiskey
Creek Assessment. He also reported on the Water Storage Assessment. Mr. Eberhart
spoke about the North Branch Lining Project concrete that is scheduled to be
poured on April 4, 2017 and the project will be substantially complete by April
7, 2017. Mr. Eberhart discussed the
Request for Qualifications Process and the Small Works Roster. Mr. Eberhart gave
an update on the discussions with Kittitas County Conservation District
regarding the Manastash. He also presented information on the Stream
Supplementation, Taneum Heart K and Manastash Ridge Trail.
Mr. Eberhart
requested approval for the purchase of a Gradall Excavator from Roza Irrigation
District for $5,000.00. A motion
made by Director Weaver and a second made by Director Schnebly to approve the
request. The motion passed unanimously.
Legal Counsel
Jeff Slothower presented information from a KRD Customer regarding their
obligation to pay the assessment explaining he will send a response.
Mr. Eberhart
presented a letter from Barbara Pettit announcing her retirement effective
September 1, 2017.
Moving to New
Business: Mr. Eberhart presented information on the 2017 USBR Operation and
Maintenance cost adjustment explaining the adjustment will be made on the June,
2017 payment.
The Board
adjourned to Executive Session at 2:40 p.m. for 20 minutes per RCW 42.30.110(1)
(g) and 42.30.110 (1) (i):( i) with a motion made by Director Wakkuri and a
second made by Director Weaver. The motion passed unanimously. The Board
returned to Regular Session at 3:00 p.m. with a motion made by Director Wakkuri
and the second made by Director Schnebly. The motion passed unanimously.
Summary
Vouchers for the February, 2017 expenses and the March, 2017 payroll that
included check numbers 40982 through 41065 and direct deposit numbers 9901071
through 9901087 in the sum of $215,577.65 were approved with a motion made by
Director Wakkuri and the second made by Director Schnebly. The motion passed
unanimously.
The
Directors’ monthly payroll vouchers were presented for signatures and checks
were distributed accordingly.
All Business
having been concluded the meeting was adjourned.
___________________________________________
Mr. Hansen
KRD Board of Directors Chairman
___________________________________________
Mr. Eberhart
KRD Secretary Manager