Commissioner Vacancy – Seeking Applicants

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Board of Commissioners Vacancy:  Position #1 Sudden Valley Area

Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District is seeking candidates to fill a position on the Board of Commissioners.  Applicants must live within the boundary that comprises Commissioner District #1 which includes Sudden Valley Divisions 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 10, 11, 13, 15, 19, 24, 58 and the western portion of Division 4.

The appointed person will serve from January 1, 2020 until a candidate is elected in the November 2021 election.  If the appointed person wishes to continue to serve on the Board, they must run for election in the Fall of 2021.  The person elected at that time will serve the remainder of the unexpired term which ends in 2021, and the following full six-year term.  Minimum qualifications for the position are:

  1. Must reside within the boundaries of Commissioner District Position #1 as described above and shown on the District’s web site at www.lwwsd.org.
  2. Must be a citizen of the United States.
  3. Must be a registered voter within Commissioner District #1.

To apply, please submit letter and resume to the District’s office, 1220 Lakeway Drive Bellingham, Washington 98229, or by email at general.inbox@lwwsd.org.  The deadline for submission is December 2, 2019.  If you have any questions contact General Manager Justin Clary at (360)734-9224.

Click here for a printable version of this announcement

Click here for a map of Commissioner District 1

Basic Information, Expectations & Requirements 

Lake Whatcom Water & Sewer District

Lake Whatcom Water & Sewer District was formed in 1968 primarily to provide sewer service to the many homes on septic systems around Lake Whatcom.  The District’s service area includes Geneva, Sudden Valley, and the North Shore of Lake Whatcom.

The District provides water service to approximately 3,633 residential customers and sewer service to approximately 3,883 residential customers in an 18 square mile area encompassing Lake Whatcom.  The District is operated by 18 full time staff persons, a five-member Board of Commissioners, and has an annual operations and maintenance budget of about $6 million dollars.

Board of Commissioners

The District is governed by a five member Board of Commissioners who set the policies and rates of the District. The District is divided into five commissioner districts; each represented by a resident elected from that district to serve a six year term of office.  The current Board of Commissioners is:

  • Position 1 – Laura Abele (through December 31, 2019)
  • Position 2 – Todd Citron (current Board Secretary)
  • Position 3 – Bruce Ford
  • Position 4 – Leslie McRoberts
  • Position 5 – John Carter

Summary of Board Duties and Responsibilities

Members of the Board of Commissioners are collectively responsible for establishing policy, adopting an annual budget, and providing vision and goals to the General Manager.  The following outline is a brief description of the various duties of Board Members.  The description is not intended to be comprehensive, but rather it is an effort to summarize the primary responsibilities of the Board.

Establish Policy

  • Adopt goals and objectives
  • Establish priorities
  • Approve/amend the operating and capital budgets
  • Approve contracts
  • Adopt resolutions

Supervision of General Manager

  • Hire the General Manager
  • Evaluate the performance of the General Manager

Provide Public Leadership

  • Promote representative governance
  • Mediate conflicting interests while building a consensus
  • Communicate the District’s vision and goals to ratepayers
  • Represent the District’s interest at regional, county, state, and federal levels

Decision-Making

  • Study problems
  • Review alternatives
  • Determine best course of public policy

Board Meetings & Time Commitment

Board Meetings are held on the second Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. and the last Wednesday of each month at 8:00 a.m.  Meetings typically last between 1 hour and 2.25 hours.

Each month, one commissioner attends the LWWSD Staff Meeting on the second Thursday of the month at 8:00 a.m. on a rotating basis.

Other optional time commitments include bi-annual Washington Association of Sewer and Water Districts Conferences, local Policy Group meetings, and various training and industry events.

Compensation

Board members are compensated per state law (RCW 57.12.010) per each day or portion thereof spent in actual attendance at official meetings of the district board, or in performance of other official services or duties on behalf of the district.    Board compensation is either increased or decreased per State law.  As of October 2019, the current daily compensation is $128.

Click here for a printable copy of the Commissioner Information Sheet

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Options for Damaged Homes

If your home was damaged and rendered unlivable during the Nov 19 wind storm, please contact the District for information on options for suspension of water & sewer billing. See […]

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