Commissioner's
Corner
Beverly
J Tweddle
It seems that we are barely out of the glare
of a most beautiful summer and autumn and now the holiday season is fast
approaching. But before we forget the past season entirely, I wanted to
share some random thoughts with you about something that was so prevalent
this summer – brown, dormant lawns and dying ornamentals. We have stressed
the water conservation message for about a dozen years now, and you have
responded. Because of these efforts, we were able to avoid surpassing our
existing record for water production in a day, despite experiencing the
longest, hottest summer on record. However, as an avid gardener, I struggled
with the seemingly incongruent concepts of garden and lawn watering and
conservation.
My experience confirms that
less frequent, but deep watering is a viable compromise to conservation when
combined with a generous application of composted mulch on garden beds. The
success of this approach is dependent, of course, on the lawn areas having
been properly prepared with lots of water-retentive compost and drought
resistant plants selected for the borders. I find that most ornamentals and
lawn grasses do well with about 1” of water per week applied in one or two
applications.
I always get revved up when
thinking about gardening, so I wanted to let you know what is happening with
the District’s conservation garden. The garden, which emphasizes
conservation practices in landscaping, was built 10 years ago in response to
our recognition that the water supply was not without limits to support a
burgeoning population. Many local businesses supplied much of the materials
and labor that brought the garden to fruition. Now, as with any garden from
time to time, renovation and restoration is necessary. The garden will be
closed until spring while we undertake this activity.
|
Since this newsletter will
be included with your November/December billing, I want to encourage you
to think about this season of giving. Particularly for those who are
experiencing difficult times because of job layoffs and the general
downturn in the recent economy, the generosity of a neighbor can make
such a great difference. We provide an opportunity for you to give to
your neighbors in need through our Customer Assistance Program. The
program, which is administered by the Multi-Service Center, helps less
fortunate customers pay their water/sewer bills. Also, in cooperation
with the local food bank, we have placed a barrel in our administrative
office to collect donations of non-perishable food items. Remember this
season that giving can be a blessing not only to the recipient, but to
the giver as well.
Finally, I want to mention
the value the District places on customer service. We recently
acknowledged this priority by celebrating Customer Appreciation Week
with items of information about the District, tools for water
conservation and treats for parents and children who came by our office.
The District continually strives to provide excellent customer service
and we thank you for the kind words of many that stopped by and trust
that your interaction with the District has been positive. As your
Commissioner, I welcome any questions or concerns you may have. Feel
free to call me at 253-927-2832 or contact me by e-mail @
b.tweddle@worldnet.att.net.
|
|
Customer Appreciation Week
Committee members left to right:
Jean Gardiner, Linda Mogensen, Marylin Evans and Melinda Garcia |
Happy Holidays!!!!
top
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
With the 2004 Legislative Session rapidly
approaching, the Board’s Legislative Committee has been at work developing a
legislative “to-do” program for the District in 2004. The proposed 2004
program, along with a summary of last year’s legislation of interest, was
presented to the Board at the October 23rd meeting.
Last year, the District advanced four bills
in the legislature and supported a number of others. The bills introduced by
the District included a bill to require a vote of ratepayers in the
assumption of large, multi-jurisdiction districts; a bill establishing a
higher limit for the use of in-house labor on public works projects; a bill
to establish cost considerations in the retention of engineering consultants
and a bill to allow the collection of future facility costs for water/sewer
improvements to be installed by private developer. Although only a version
of a public works bill similar to the District’s was successfully passed
into law, we feel that progress was made on all items.
This year the District will focus primarily
on two bills. The main effort will be on seeking passage of a bill that will
allow special purpose districts to consider engineering fees when selecting
amongst qualified engineering consultants proposing to do work for the
district. This would make the selection of engineers to perform design or
other services on a project for a district more like the selection of a
contractor on a public works construction job. As you probably know, public
works laws require public agencies to select the lowest cost responsible
bidder when awarding contracts for public improvements. The District also
plans to pursue a bill to allow districts to collect and thereby participate
with private developers in the up-front sharing of the cost of local
facilities necessary to serve specific areas.
We expect to continue to support other bills,
including bills that make ratepayer approval of the assumption of a
district’s service jurisdiction a legal prerequisite for a city to replace a
district as the provider of water and sewer services in an area. We also
look to continuing to work with other municipal water purveyors on improving
the legal landscape for municipal water rights.
We look forward to reporting back to you on
our progress in the next Newsletter!
top
CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
Throughout the year District staff encounter
customers who, through a variety of circumstances, are unable to pay their
water/sewer bill. With the assistance of our Customer Assistance Program
Committee, the District oversees a Customer Assistance Program for
individuals and families seeking help with their utility bills.
We need your help! Please consider making a
tax-deductible donation to Lakehaven Utility District's Customer Assistance
Program. Just fill in the appropriate space on your bill with the dollar
amount and send it with your water/sewer bill. Electronic payers can write a
check payable to Lakehaven Utility District and indicate that it is for the
Customer Assistance Program. Please remember that no donation is too small
and every dollar will help.
Also, in recognition that many in our
community have extra needs during the Holiday season, Lakehaven is providing
space for a donation barrel in the Customer Service area of the main office,
on behalf of the Multi-Service Center. The office address is 31627 First
Avenue South, Federal Way WA 98003.
Customers who visit the District are invited
to make donations of especially needed items, such as canned vegetables,
canned tomatoes and tomato sauce, canned fruits, tuna, packaged noodles, dry
beans, peanut butter, cereal or oatmeal, baby formula, baby food, and
diapers.
The donation barrel will be available until
December 31, 2003 and all items will be delivered to the Federal Way Food
Bank. Your participation and assistance will be greatly appreciated.
Thank you for your generosity and support of
those in need!
top
SECURITY
In an effort to be proactive on security, surveillance
cameras have been installed at various building locations throughout the
District. Additionally, security gates were installed and a locked-box
system was developed for the safekeeping of vehicle keys. The District makes
every effort to protect the water supply for the community. Please help
staff by being vigilant around remote District sites, such as well houses,
tanks and buildings, and call the District at
(253)-941-1516, if you notice anything out of
the ordinary.
top
WINTERIZE PIPES
Now that winter is nearly upon us we
need to be prepared for frozen pipes, or even worse, burst pipes. It is
important that you know the location of the main shutoff valve to your home.
Most hardware stores have products specifically
designed to insulate pipes, including heat tape. It is also helpful to wrap
some insulation around your water meter, cutting a hole in the insulation so
that the register of the meter is exposed. If your pipes should freeze, thaw
them by adding hot water. You can also use a hairdryer on the low setting,
making sure not to aim at one spot too long. NEVER use a blowtorch on frozen
pipes.
top
KIDS CORNER:
Pinecone Christmas Tree
For each Pinecone Christmas Tree you will
need:
- A large, open pinecone (pick one that is
tree-shaped and stands upright easily)
- Glitter
- A few cotton balls
- White glue (like Elmer’s)
- Dental floss and a needle
- Small beads
- A small bow or star to top off your little
tree
Glue a few cotton balls to the bottom of the
pinecone. These look like snow and help the “tree” stand upright.
Put a little dab of glue at the tips of the
pine cone and then sprinkle on glitter.
String some small beads onto dental floss
(about 1 to 1 ½ ft or more, depending on the size of the pinecone). To
string the beads easily, tie one bead securely to the string. Then give the
floss to the child for stringing. Older children can use a needle to help
with the stringing. When the stringing is done, tie off the last bead with a
knot.
Wrap the beads around the pinecone and glue
them to the tree.
Top off your tree with a small bow or other
decoration.
top
Your Board of
Commissioners
Dick Mayer - President
Ed Stewart - Vice President
Beverly J. Tweddle - Secretary
Tom Jovanovich - Commissioner
Donald L. P. Miller - Commissioner
Regular Board of Commissioners meetings are held at:
Lakehaven Center
31531 First Ave. S.
Federal Way at 6 p.m. |
