At the Thursday, October 20 meeting of the Pagosa Area and Water and Sanitation District (PAWSD) Board of Directors, the four seated board members delayed the consideration of candidates for board vacancy opened by the resignation of recently-elected member Drew Mackey. In his letter of resignation, Mr. Mackey had explained that recent changes to his private obligations — business and family — had made his service on the PAWSD board problematic.
Rather than consider to candidates who had submitted previous application for a different board vacancy — now filled by local business owner Peter Hurley — the board unanimously voted to advertise the position in weekly newspaper for two weeks and then consider filling the position at its November meeting, this Thursday, November 10.
Board member Glenn Walsh noted, “We’re kind of using, for a whole set of reasons, we’re kind of kicking this can down the road which is … unfair to the applicants, but also we want to adhere to state law. And I think the civic hygiene in Archuleta right now is not great.
“We probably will get the same candidates, but it’s been a while — six weeks, two months — it’s been a long time and … if there’s somebody out there that reads The SUN, I think we should notice it and come back in November and make a choice.”
Here’s the wording of the published notice:
Pagosa Area Water and Sanitation District Board Vacancy
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a vacancy exists on the Board of Directors of the Pagosa Area Water and Sanitation District. Any eligible elector may submit a letter of interest to serve on the Board. The candidate will serve until the next regular election (May 2023). “Eligible elector” means a person who is registered to vote in Colorado and either has been a resident of the special district or the area to be included in the special district for not less than thirty days; or who, or whose spouse, owns taxable real or personal property situated within the boundaries of the special district, whether said person resides within the special district or not; or a person who is obligated to pay taxes under a contract to purchase taxable property situated within the boundaries of the special district. This vacancy will be filled by an affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining Directors.
Chairman: Jim Smith
A decision may be made at the November 10 meeting. The Thursday evening meeting at 5pm will also consider an extension of a lease with the Weber family to continuing ranching and mining on PAWSD-owned property in the Dry Gulch valley; possible increases to PAWSD fees; the proposed 2023 budget; and the development of a growth model related to future water demands.
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