Greetings Fellow System Co-Owners,
It’s hard to believe we are nearing the one-year mark of the firestorm last year. It seems like it was both yesterday and lifetime ago. The board has been able to push things along on the insurance recovery and FEMA fundings front. It appears that at this point that the majority of our claims have been “covered” – some at 100% (insurance) and others at 75% (FEMA). Here is a summary by location:
Tank Location at Meadowcroft
As you know, our 40,000 gallon redwood tank burned in the fire. Insurance came through with payments to replace the tank with a 60,000 gallon steel tank and enlarged footprint. That work has been completed and you can see a photo of the new tank here. Peterson Well will be making the connections from the tank to the system next week. We should be on track for our earlier estimate of an October completion.
Well Locations
Well 1 sustained damage and requires complete shut-down and decommission. FEMA came through with funding (at 75%) to shut down Well 1 and rebuild the fence to secure that property. Wells 2 and 3 suffered no significant damage and continue to pump into the 5,000 gallon temporary tank.
Connections at each of the 48 residences – FEMA has paid us (at 75%) to replace connections at each of the residences. In addition to new shut-off valves, we will also install new concrete boxes, meters and back-flow devices. Initial work begins this Saturday. Our plan is to stay within each of the water company easements on residents’ properties. The new connections will in most cases be adjacent to each existing shutoff location. We will hand excavate an area around each shut-off valve to install the new concrete boxes and valves. This requires us to periodically shut down the water system to complete the work. We anticipate the majority of the work to be done on weekends. We will notify residents as we move through the system.
Fire Hydrants
The insurance company has committed to pay for testing and replacement of the fire hydrants once the new tank (and increased pressure) is installed.
Propane Generator
We plan to install a generator at Well 3. Well 3 has the greatest capacity, hence that location. Funding is pending on this expense. We expect it will be covered as an required upgrade by the insurance company. This is the last major expense we have not either recovered or received a commitment to cover at this point.
“Will Serve” Letter
Required County Rebuild Document – attached and on the website you will find the approved “Will Serve” letter. This document is a requirement for final occupancy once your home is rebuilt. It is the documentation you will need to demonstrate your secured water source. The RMWC Will Serve Letter (Notice of Water Services Provided) is linked here and also on file at the county.
Resumption of Billing
As we mentioned in our last update, we will resume billing in the fourth quarter – at the former fee schedule of $190 per quarter. Given the unexpected delays in securing reimbursement from insurance and any FEMA coverages we aren’t in a position to gauge what our funding needs are going to be moving forward. We will still have significant out of pocket expenses to cover our portion of FEMA coverages (25%) and any additional insurance denials. As well, our system is nearly 50 years old and we anticipate planned and unplanned system expenses. We plan to conduct an analysis of our uncovered expenses from the fire and accrual needs for system repair and upgrading in the next few months. At that point, we can determine what our billing levels will be going forward.
RMWC Website
continues to be the best source of information for the water system. Please check it periodically for any updates. All the current updates, notices, system information and lab testing is posted on the Website. Our thanks to Susan Kullmann for managing and updating the website. https://riebliwater.com
Best Regards,
Your Board…
Kevin Baughman
Bill Collins
Tom Thelen
Chuck Geber
Tony Shoemaker
Susan Peters
Bernt Hoppert