By: Lydia Crawley
The Parsons Advocate
Blackwater Public Service District members and Region VII Executive Director Shane Whitehair discussed the need to procure Legal and Accounting services for the new PSD at the meeting of the District Board.
Blackwater PSD Board Chairman Alan Tomson said the board needed to move forward with the procurement of services. “What we wanted to do at this meeting, we talked about at the last meeting, was really to move forward trying to fill out the team,” Tomson said. “So that we can get the accountant and the legal services that we need.”
Whirehair informed the board that his agency is moving forward on proposals and solicitations as well as a Residual Support Plan for the project. “As far as Legal and Accounting, We’ll have to send a proposal out, RSP (Residual Support Plan) out and obviously we will make sure that all the solicitations are done.”
Whitehair said Region VII is also looking ahead with the project so they can complete anything that might come up in the future. “Kind of looking ahead to make sure our bases are covered…and things like that,” Whitehair said. “Because we really don’t know what the funding looks like today, so you want to make sure that we don’t have to do it again in the future.”
According to Whitehair, his organization is working on a draft proposal currently but due to the newness of the PSD entity, there are some factors to address in the proposal. “So, we are actually drafting out the proposal now,” Whitehair said. “This is a little different now because it is a new PSD and there are a lot of different, you know, quirks with it. So we want to make sure that we’re covered before we send it out.”
The draft proposal should be ready in a week or so, according to Whitehair. “We should have it ready in the next week or so,” Whitehair said.
Tomson said he had attended a PSD training sponsored by the Public Service Commission. “I did attend the PSD training the PSC (Public Service Commission) holds,” Tomson said. “And they went over a lot of things with Legal and Accounting. Very, very informative three days.”
Tomson said he wished he had an opportunity to attend when he became Mayor of Davis. “I wish I had taken it when I became Mayor,” Tomson said. “Because what they were talking about for the PSD is just as relevant for a municipality if you have sewer and water.”
According to Tomson, he recommended the PSC extend the training to municipalities, as well. “So, I made that recommendation to the PSC that they really should broaden the audience,” Tomson said. “If they can tolerate that.”
The next meeting of the Blackwater Public Service District will be held Tuesday December 12th at 10 a.m. at the Davis Town Hall in Davis.
