Call to Order
The meeting was called to order at 10:00 am by Chair Kristine Gorbet.
1. Roll Call
  
  Present: Director Wanda Carpenter, Chair Kristine Gorbet, Director Mary Cronin, Director Andy Meyers, Director Susan Doran
  
  Staff Present: General Manager, Board Clerk, Legal Counsel
2. Pledge of Allegiance
  Led by Chair Kristine Gorbet
Public Comments
A member of the public expressed the importance of their right to speak. No additional public comments were made.
Board Training with Legal Counsel
The Board participated in a training session led by legal counsel Margaret Long, focusing on the proper role of board members versus staff. Long emphasized that the Board’s primary responsibility is governance—setting policy, strategic goals, and direction—not involvement in day-to-day operations. The General Manager (GM) is tasked with executing board direction, supervising staff, managing operations, and maintaining communication with the Board through regular reports and updates.
The Board’s top function is to establish a mission and vision statement, develop a strategic plan with clear priorities for the next 3–5 years, and ensure accountability through deliverables, timelines, and regular progress updates. The Board was encouraged to adopt an ad hoc subcommittee to assist with reviewing the district’s extensive policy binder and detailed district code, noting that policies serve as internal guidelines, while ordinances carry the weight of law and require a public hearing and additional public noticing to amend.
Financial oversight responsibilities were reviewed, including the need for sound fiscal policies, annual audits, approval of budgets, and regular review of fiscal reports. The Board requested monthly check registers moving forward. The training also clarified that while the Board sets salaries and approves job descriptions and organizational structure, staff hiring, evaluations, and discipline fall under the GM’s authority.
A public comment suggested the strategic plan should include core services.
Strategic Planning
The Board held an in-depth discussion on financial sustainability, project prioritization, and long-term strategic goals. Due to the pending PG&E settlement, the District is holding onto cash and using interest from the $7 million in state funds (now reduced to approximately $6.1–$6.5 million) for operations.

Phase I construction of the Public Safety Center is ready to move forward, with the goal of aligning timelines to avoid a construction gap before Phase II, which could begin as early as July/August if funding and bids align. The GM and Board discussed using a bank loan to finance the majority of project construction (Phase I will mostly be covered by a grant from Plumas County). Interest income from the PG&E settlement is expected to cover bank loan payments once secured. Board doesn't want a loan opportunity to get passed by and therefore delaying the project.
A new Financial Stability line item will be added to the strategic plan to focus on cost-neutral service delivery and diversifying revenue streams beyond water/sewer rates. Economic development, microgrids, and housing projects were discussed as potential supplemental income sources. Staff was directed to develop a 5-, 10-, and 15-year financial outlook.

The Board discussed the financial structure of the volunteer fire department. The department does not participate in the CFAA strike team due to its all-volunteer nature. Instead, it is working on agreements with two local national forests that provide reimbursement for firefighting services on federal land, starting from the fifth hour of work. However, these reimbursements are unpredictable and should not be relied upon for ongoing operational funding.

The annual operating cost for the fire department is approximately $350,000. To stabilize funding, the Board is exploring the possibility of placing a property tax assessment on the ballot to make the fire department's operations revenue-neutral. No formal proposal has been submitted yet. The Board also discussed partnership policy with IVRPD and potential future annexation of park services vs a merging of districts.

To support implementation, the Board agreed to:
– Add Financial Stability and Capital Projects as new strategic plan categories (with existing priorities now falling under Capital Projects);
– Include timelines, resource allocation, and progress reporting for each strategic item;
– Use an ad hoc committee for policy/ordinance review.
Adoption of Public Safety Center Plans and Specs
The Board reviewed and approved the plans and specifications for Phase I of the Public Safety Center project, which includes sitework, storm drainage, and erosion control. A project budget of $1.5 million was approved, with the majority of costs eligible for reimbursement by Plumas County. To streamline the process, the Board authorized the General Manager to advertise for bids and to award and execute a construction contract with the lowest, responsible bidder, provided the bid falls within the approved budget. If bids exceed the budget, the General Manager will return to the Board with a recommendation. Authority was also granted for the General Manager to execute necessary change orders within the budget. Director Doran abstained.
Chair Kristine Gorbet motioned to approve. Director Andy Meyers seconded the motion.

The motion passed with the following vote:
4 In Favor 0 Opposed
1 Abstained 0 Absent 0 Recused
Committee Appointments
The Board reviewed current committee assignments and made the following updates:
– Finance Committee: Krisi, Susan, Patti, Adam
– Policy Committee: Dissolved as a standing committee; an ad hoc Policy Review Committee was formed with Mary and Wanda as members
– Public Relations Committee: No members assigned. Dissolved
– Personnel Committee: No members assigned. Dissolved
Board Member Comments/Requests
The Board requested simpler, more straightforward financial reporting. GM will begin splitting monthly reports into operational and project updates. Board members were encouraged to submit questions in advance of meetings to allow for informed responses from the GM. Wanda volunteered to review the District website.
Adjournment
Krisi motioned. Mary seconded. Meeting adjourned.