Rainbow allows non-resident ratepayers to be on standing committees

The Rainbow Municipal Water District has three standing committees. A member of one of those committees does not need to be on Rainbow’s board but needed to be a resident in the Rainbow Municipal Water District service area. A change in the committee’s policy now allows non-resident ratepayers to serve on those committees.

A 4-0 Rainbow board vote Tuesday, Jan. 23, with one vacant seat, approved the change to Rainbow’s administrative code. Committees may be comprised of Rainbow board members, staff and legal ratepayers of the district. Committee members no longer need to reside within

district boundaries, be registered in the district and maintain a primary domicile within the district boundaries.

“It could provide more options,” Rainbow general manager Jake Wiley said.

The standing committees are the budget and finance committee, the communications and customer service committee and the engineering and operations committee. The February 2020 Rainbow board meeting included a 5-0 vote to revise administrative code provisions regarding committees. One revision clarified that committees may study, advise and make recommendations to the board on matters within the committee’s area of responsibility. The authority of committees, however, is limited to advisory recommendations only, and the committees have no authority to take action or otherwise make decisions which are binding upon board members or district staff. The revisions also added that committee members must reside, be registered voters and maintain a primary domicile within district boundaries. The Rainbow board was given the sole discretion to determine whether a committee member properly resides within the district.

“It was time to make a change in that policy,” Wiley said.

The Rainbow board in its sole discretion may still determine at any time whether a committee member properly qualifies as a ratepayer of the district.

The budget and finance committee is responsible for the review of district finances including rates, fees, charges and other sources of revenue, budgets, audits, investments, insurance and other financial matters and works with Rainbow’s general manager, treasurer and finance manager. The communications and customer service committee provides input or guidance on matters of internal and external communications including positive public image, community outreach, media relations, water conservation programs, intergovernmental relations, customer service policies and other public relations programs and works with Rainbow’s general manager and the district’s customer service and communications supervisor. The engineering and operations committee reviews matters of design, construction, replacement and repair of district facilities and property, including the capital improvement program, contractor selection processes, contractor management programs and other engineering related matters. It is also responsible for reviewing matters of operations, preventative maintenance practices, standard operating procedures, technical services, equipment and other operations related matters. It works with the general manager, the engineering department head and the operations manager.