MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING
OF THE HARBOR WATER PUD
 

August 13, 2026

 

The regular meeting of the Harbor Water P.U.D. Board of Directors was called to order by President Dan Fraser at 4:00 pm, August 13, 2026, in the administrative building, at 98069 W. Benham Lane, Harbor, Oregon
 

Board and employee Attendance was taken
President: Dan Fraser “present” Vice President: Tom Beene “present” Board Member: Jim White “present” Board Member: Herman Bloemsma “present” Board Member: Bill Frye “present” Superintendent: Ken Burshem “present”
District Manager: Ami Arneson “present” IT: Ariel Poston “present” Engineer: Matt Robart / Camas “absent” Office Staff: April Hempenstall “present”
 

Pledge of Allegiance was said.

No modification, addition or change to the agenda, or conflicts of interest was made. Beene made a motion to accept the agenda, Bloemsma seconded, the motion passed 5-0. Yes: Bloemsma, White, Fraser, Frye, Beene. No: None.
Minutes from the previous board meetings held on July 9, 2026. Bloemsma made a motion to accept July 9, 2026 minutes, White seconded, the motion passed 5-0. Yes: Frye, Beene, Bloemsma, White, Fraser. No: None.
 

August 2026 current bills, in the amount of $65,522.18 were presented, discussed, and approved. Frye made a motion to accept the August Bills, Bloemsma seconded, the motion passed 5-0. Yes: Beene, Frye, Bloemsma, White, Fraser. No:None.
 

Items For Action:
Habor Sanitary Board of Directors, Gerard Thibeault, John Donnelly, and District Manager Kelly Beebe, attended the meeting. The purpose was to discuss the new proposal between Harbor Water PUD and Harbor Sanitary for meter reads. Currently Harbor Water PUD provides Harbor Sanitary with commercial meter reads for their billing. Thibeault, stated the proposed increase from $25 to $1,500 monthly, increase seems excessive. He agrees that the current rate is too low. Poston replied the new rate reflects the full costs of personnel time, equipment maintenance, and system
upgrades, including the need to replace outdated meters and radios. There are 114 customers whose readings are provided. Beebe, Arneson and Poston will meet together in the future to come up with a fair cost for all involved.

The Harbor Water

PUD Board reviewed the lease with Harbor Fire Dept. A few items need to be changed. 1. Overnight parking is prohibited. 2. Add cleaning to common operating expense. 3. Noice for termination, change the written notice, needs to be 1 year, not 2. 4. The insurance coverage needs to be clarified with the insurance company.
 

Superintendent Report:
Burshem reported that he has spoken with Brookings Water Dept to set up a hydrant for when the salinity gets high. The water truck is ready when needed. Pat Mclaughlin and Nick Turner attended a review class in Bend and are ready to take their Distribution Level 1 test. Turner and McLaughlin are busy installing radios. This will provide a more accurate reading for Harbor Water PUD and Harbor Sanitary, creating more income for both entities.
 

District Manager Report:
Arneson reminded Bloemsma and Beene that they are up for election this year and they need to submit their paperwork soon. SDIS Safety grant is now available to apply for. They match 50/50 up to $2,500 for safety related items.
 

Engineer: None
 

IT Report: None
 

Public comments: None
 

Board comments:

Fraser asked Arneson to confirm that we have insurance for the kitchen usage, and to confirm the 5500 sq foot building on the insurance policy. Carrie from WFAD emailed Arneson and stated that the office was not covered by insurance. The office is located in the 5500 sq foot building on the policy. Also, the board would like to know the dollar
amount we have paid Camas Engineering so far. The meeting then focused on concerns about engineering contractor Matt's billing and project timeline for a water infrastructure project. Board members expressed frustration about ongoing delays, unclear invoicing, and the project cost increasing to $2.8 million, nearly three times the original estimate. We need for better communication from Matt regarding project status and timelines, with Harbor planning to reach out to contacts at Attorney firm Schwab for guidance on managing the engineering firm relationship.

 

Public Revenue Fund 94,617.41

Security 206,983.08
Money Market 970,305.17
LGIP 1,522,953.44

Meeting adjourned at 6:00 PM