More questions than answers at meeting

The Wednesday, April 10, meeting of the board of the Laclede Water District drew an unusually large crowd for there had been rumors of aggressive annexation, sizable rate increases, users not being notified of meetings and a complete revision of the governing ordinance of The Laclede Water District.

The mistrust of the members of the district was so intense that when comments were allowed, one of the first questions was, “Why had the procedure for removing board members been omitted from the revised draft of the Districts Operating Ordinance?”

Many claimed that they had not been properly informed of meetings, proposed ordinance changes and board progress or lack thereof. Board Chairman Randel R. McCain artfully maneuvered through most of the complaints and misconceptions about board actions with the exception of the reoccurring concerns about the unusually high rate of pay for the plant operator and the nepotism charge. It was finally revealed that the operator had been hired while his mother was chairperson of the board.

While nepotism is illegal in Idaho state jobs,the board’s position was “that kind of nepotism was not illegal for their board.” It was also revealed that there had been no study or investigation of regional comparable pay scales before arbitrarily awarding the plant operator his sizable raise.

The chairman explained the district’s desperate need for new revenue to “replace infrastructure.” (Sound familiar?) But, pushing for rate increases without considering obvious wage and expense reductions, left most ratepayers baffled at the operating philosophy of this board. As we were dismissed, we left the board working on the incomplete ordinance that they had hoped to adopt that night. We hope to have increased participation at the next monthly meeting.

DALE ROBERTSON

Laclede