MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING
OF THE HARBOR WATER PUD
JANUARY 7, 2026

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The regular meeting of the Harbor Water P.U.D. Board of Directors was called to order by President Dan Fraser at 4:05 pm, January 7, 2026, in the administrative building, at 98069 W. Benham Lane, Harbor, Oregon
Board Attendance was taken
President: Dan Fraser “present” Vice President: Tom Beene “absent” Board Member: Jim White “present” Board Member: Herman Bloemsma “absent” Board Member: Bill Frye “present” Superintendent: Ken Burshem “present”
District Manager: Ami Arneson “present” IT: Ariel Poston “present” Engineer: Matt Robart / Camas “present via zoom”
 

Pledge of Allegiance was said.
No modification, addition or change to the agenda, or conflicts of interest was made. Frye made a motion to accept the agenda, White seconded, the motion passed 3-0. Yes: Frye, White, Fraser. No: None

Minutes from the previous board meeting on December 11, 2025, were reviewed. Frye made a motion to accept the minutes, seconded by White, the motion passed 3-0. Yes: Frye, White, Fraser. No: None.
January 2026 current bills, in the amount of $37,927.29 were presented, discussed, and approved. Frye made a motion to accept and pay the bills, seconded by White, the motion passed 3-0. Yes: Frye, White, Fraser. No: None.
 

Items For Action:
Burshem reviewed a potential pilot program for AMI (Advanced Metering Infrastructure) with 300 meters to be tested. Burshem primarily wants to test the meters in the South Bank area. The board asked Burshem to bring back more information at the Feb meeting.

 

Superintendent Report:
Burshem gave updates on water system improvements, including the ability to
run multiple pumps and the installation of a new transformer for increased power.

 

District Manager Report:
Arneson reported the lowest bid for the tower repair is $3,500, and the siding $6,500, plus $1,000. For painting. Harbor Fire Department will vote to pay half of the cost on January 13,2026 at their board meeting. White made a motion to fix the tower for $3,500. plus, painting with the Harbor Fire Department paying half the cost, Frye seconded the motion passed 3-0. Yes: Frye, White, Fraser. No: None. Arneson spoke with April at the Port of Brookings Harbor about money market interest. They invest their money market funds in the Local Government Investment Pool. (L.G.I.P) Current rates
at Columbia bank are not adequate. L.G.I.P. offers flexible deposits and withdrawals and at a higher interest rate. Frye made a motion to transfer $1,000,000.00 into L.G.I.P., seconded by White, the motion passed 3-0. Yes: Frye, White, Fraser. No: None. Tuesday January 13, 2026 at 2:30PM there will be a zoom call with Rural Community Assistance Corporation, also known as RCAC about conducting a rate study for Harbor Water. Arneson will send out the link and a reminder to all board members in case they would like to listen in on the call. Paul Dollar has been hired to be the new Harbor Fire Department Chief. April Hempenstall has been hired to replace Rachelle Jacot.
 

Engineer:
Robart gave a brief account of the zoom call with the financing options for Harbor Water. One of which would be Harbor Water taking out a loan. FEMA reimbursements typically have a two-month lag time. Robart will gather more information on the process.
 

IT Report: None
Public comments: None
Board comments:
The board raised concerns about taking out a loan for construction costs, as it might require a district-wide vote and delay the project. Arneson will reach out to SDOA for clarification.

Revenue Fund $165,359.02
Money Market $2,451,961.35
Security $100,036.88

 

Meeting adjourned at 5:00 PM