March 3rd 2025 Meeting Minutes

DEER CREEK IRRIGATION DISTRICT MINUTES OF THE

March 3rd , 2025

BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING

PLACE: Vina Elementary School Library, 4790 D Street, Vina, CA 96092 

TIME: 5:00 P.M.

DIRECTORS PRESENT: Linda Pitter, Jeff Rabo, Doug Amato

DIRECTORS ABSENT: Jake Thompson, Patrick Johnson

The meeting was called to order by Board President, Linda Pitter at 5:09 pm. The Pledge of Allegiance followed immediately after the call to order. Treasurer, Ellen Stephens, recorded the minutes. With no corrections to be made to the agenda, Director Rabo moved that the agenda be approved as-is. Director Amato seconded, and the vote was unanimous.

Director Johnson arrived.

PUBLIC COMMENT

Sue Knox thanked the district for their efforts in keeping stock water given the storm damage to the District’s diversion.

END OF PUBLIC COMMENT

CONSENT AGENDA

Director Rabo read the minutes from the regularly scheduled meeting on February 17th , 2025 aloud. Grammatical revisions were proposed and Director Johnson moved to approve the minutes as amended. Director Amato seconded, and the vote was unanimous.

Treasurer, Ellen Stephens, presented the following invoices for the period of February 17th , 2025 through March 2nd , 2025:

ACH Payments:

 QuickBooks, March online bookkeeping subscription, $65.00

 ClockShark, March time clock services, $48.00

Other Invoices:

 #858 Horton, McNulty and Saeteurn, 2023 Annual Financial report, $650.00

 #859 Mark Boggs, make up check for mileage compensation rate change, $21.81

Treasurer Stephens noted that the port-a-potty services by Johnny on the Spot have been suspended until such time that a new ditch tender is hired.

REPORTS

Treasurer Stephens reported that the District had received four water assessment payments. It was reported that the bank balance as of February 12th , 2025 was $150,846.15. After deposits and payments, the register balance as of March 1st , 2025 is $158,866.91.

Director Johnson reported one tax assessment as still being delinquent as of the January 15th first installment due date.

Director Pitter reported that work efforts on the diversion and diversion channel had yielded an ability to provide minimal stock water flows. Ben Cook is assisting with diversion and channel cleanup with a small excavator. Trout Unlimited has rented the excavator and Ben is operating it at no expense to the District. The District has rented an excavator and the District’s operator, Zack Drake, has been using it to make repairs to the access road, washed out ditch locations, and assisting Ben Cook with diversion and channel excavations. CDFW has not been available to clean sediment from the screen bay, nor has the paddle wheel been removed for repairs. Despite numerous phone calls by the District and Ben Cook to CDFW regarding coordination of work efforts, no progress has been made to schedule screen bay cleanup work. Fish counting staff with CDFW have been onsite to move their shed, solar panels, and electronic equipment

away from the flood damaged area.

OLD BUSINESS

The Board received an update from the ad-hoc hiring committee regarding received job applications and inquiries for the position of ditch tender. Director Johnson reported that resumes, cover letters and some completed applications have been received. Director Johnson will contact applicants who have submitted resumes but have not completed applications. The committee will perform initial screening of the applicants and potentially present recommendations to the Board at the next meeting.

The Board reviewed, discussed and consulted with legal counsel regarding the right-of-access policy to private lands for the purpose of maintaining the District’s infrastructure and performing maintenance activities. Counsel Austin Cho was present at the meeting to present a draft policy and answer questions. Two versions were presented for consideration. Director Rabo suggested that both versions be utilized since one was a more formal policy that would be added to the Rules and Regulations, and the second a

more communicative version that would be provided directly to landowners in the form of a letter from the Board. The Board asked Counsel Cho to move forward with further development of both versions for final presentation to the Board in April.

The Board consulted with Counsel Cho regarding the process and timeline for preparing and submitting proposed voting and board qualification changes to the State. Mr. Cho responded that he was of the belief that the timeline for submitting a request had passed, but that he would inquire about the potential for late submittal opportunities. The objectives of the proposed changes are to provide all landowners the ability to vote regardless of residence location, provide a single vote per landowner, and provide landowners an option to appoint a legal representative that could cast votes or serve on the board.

NEW BUSINESS

As requested at the previous meeting, the Board discussed the creation of an Ad Hoc committee to be the primary point of contact and frontline communication for infrastructure project coordination and outside funding opportunities. Director Rabo made a motion to form an Ad Hoc Committee for the purpose stated above, to be chaired by himself and Director Thompson. Amy Roenspie will also serve on the committee asa landowner representative. Director Amato seconded the motion and the vote was unanimous to approve.

MEETING ADJOURNMENT at 7:26 pm.