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VIDEO. From the Montara Water and Sanitary District (MWSD) Director’s meeting on Thursday, February 2nd, 2023 by Zoom.
The Director’s chose to appoint a new Director in Ric’s place, rather than having an expensive election.
Have any interest in your water and sewer?
Contact the General Manger, Clemens Helmaier, if you are interested in being part of the MWSD team.
Review and Possible Action Concerning Vacant Position for Board of Directors
Full Agenda Item
On January 21, 2023, the General Manager was notified of Director Ric Lohman’s untimely passing on January 19, 2023. This creates a vacancy on the Board in which the remaining members may fill either by appointment or calling a special election within sixty (60) days of the vacancy (no later than April 3, 2023) as provided under Government Code (Gov’t. Code) Section 1780. As further required by Gov’t. Code § 1780(b), the District is required to notify the County Elections Office of the vacancy within fifteen (15) days after the Board is notified of the vacancy or the effective date of the vacancy, whichever is later (vacancy date). This meeting item serves as notification to the Board of the vacancy and, therefore, constitutes the vacancy date for purposes of complying with the Gov’t. Code requirements for filling vacancies.
Should the Board decide to fill the vacancy by appointment, the person appointed will hold office until the next District election cycle. This is so because the vacancy occurred within the first half of Director Lohman’s term of office (elected November, 2022) and at least 130 days (i.e., 4 ½ months) before the next general district election cycle in November, 2024. Therefore, the person appointed will hold office until the next general District election. Gov’t Code §1780(d)(2). Once a person is elected to fill the vacancy in the November 2024 election, he/she shall hold office for the unexpired balance of the term of office that was vacated which, in this case, would be the 2-year unexpired term of Director Lohman.
Should the Board decide to fill the vacancy by calling a special election, then the election is required to be held on the next established election date that is 130 days or more after the date the Board calls for the election; per the County of San Mateo Election website, the next established election date that would be 130 days or more is March 5, 2024 (there are no elections currently scheduled for 2023.) If Board decides to call special election, the District must notify the County elections office of its decision within 60 days of vacancy (no later than April 3, 2023). Moreover, election costs and expenses associated with a special election would be borne by the District.
If Board choses appointment, the appointment must be made no later than April 3, 2023. The District must post a public notice of the vacancy in three (3) conspicuous places within the District at least 15-days prior to making the appointment. The notice may include an invitation for interested persons to submit a letter of interest to the President of the Board and/or other specifics about the appointment process. The recommended schedule calls for making the appointment at a Regular Meeting of the Board on March 2, 2023 or, if necessary, March 16, 2023, which is the last regular meeting before the April 3 deadline. The District must then notify the County Elections Official within 15- days of the appointment.
If the Board fails to make the appointment or call a special election within the time required, the County Board of Supervisors may make the appointment prior to ninety (90) days after the vacancy occurred.
The District’s past practice has been to fill Board vacancies by appointment.
RECOMMENDATION:
Authorize General Manager to notify the County Elections Official of the vacancy.
Determine whether to fill the vacancy by appointment or special election.
If by appointment, 1) authorize staff to immediately post the Notice of Vacancy in three (3) conspicuous places within the District, including the HMB Review and District Website and approve the Resolution of the Montara Water and Sanitary District, San Mateo County, California, Resolving to Fill the Vacancy on the Board of Directors by Appointment; and 2) fill the vacancy no later than April 3, 2023.
If by special election, authorize staff to notify the San Mateo County Election Official of the Board’s intent to fill the vacancy by special election no later than April 3, 2023.
Montara Water and Sanitary District (MWSD) Meetings ~ 1st & 3rd Thursdays @ 7:30pm
Who is on the Board of Directors?
The Board of Directors manages the affairs of the District. Through their bi-monthly meetings they set policy, enact appropriate resolutions or ordinances, approve all payments to vendors, review and approve the budget, set Sewer Service Charge rates, establish connection charges, hire staff, approve contracts and other necessary actions needed to carry out the business of the District. All formal actions must be taken in public and listed on an agenda which is published in advance of the meeting.
There are five Board members, all of whom are elected at large, and must reside in the Montara or Moss Beach area. The current Board is as follows:
| DIRECTOR | TERM |
|---|---|
| Scott Boyd — President | Term 2020-2024 |
| Ric Lohman — Secretary | Term 2022-2026 |
| Peter Dekker — Treasurer | Term 2020-2026 |
| Kathryn Slater-Carter — Director | Term 2020-2024 |
| Bill Softky — Director | Term 2022-2026 |
All Board members may be reached by sending an email to [email protected].
Watch remotely. Comments and questions by email.
Agendas and Zoom Live Meeting Links
If you experience technical difficulties or have technical questions prior to or during the meeting, please contact MWSD’s IT support at (650) 728-7843.
Meeting Videos
Meeting Schedule:
Regular meetings are 7:30pm on the first and third Thursday of each month. They used to held at the District office at 8888 Cabrillo Hwy, next to Pt Montara Lighthouse and Hostel.
To receive agendas by email, send a request to [email protected]
In addition to email, we post agendas before each board meeting:
- On the District website here
- Montara post office
- Moss Beach post office
- the bulletin board in front of the MWSD office
Services
Sewer Authority Mid-Coastside (SAM) – MWSD is a member of SAM, the agency that collects and cleans our Coastside community’s wastewater before it enters the ocean. SAM meets monthly on the 4th Monday at 7:30pm. Jim Harvey and Scott Boyd presently serve as SAM board members.
Recology of the Coast – MWSD has contracted with Recology of the Coast for trash pickup, recycling, and waste hauling.
Visit County Solid Waste Department for more information about recycling, composting, etc.
In an Emergency
Water Emergencies: Call MWSD at (650) 728-3545
Sewer Emergencies: Call SAM at (650) 726-0124
For emergencies that affect life, health or safety: Dial 911
Contact Us
- 8888 Cabrillo Hwy
Montara, California 94037 - Office Hours:
8:30AM to 5PM Mon-Fri - (650) 728-3545
- [email protected]
Note: Public participation is not permitted during closed session discussion items.
MSWD General Manager Clemens Heldmaier showing a creek filtration system.
Author: Coastside Buzz
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