Partners' Post — The Partners' Post Newsletter is mailed to all divide addresses around the 15th of every other month. Watch for your copy! Community Partners are welcome to submit event information for publication. Send details to carquette@gdrd.org The copy deadline for the next issue is August 27. For a complete list of deadline dates click here.
GDRD Offers Prospective Board Member Forum
With all five positions on the Board of Directors up for election in November, the current Board has established a new local educational program to help residents determine if they are interested in being on the Board prior to filing with the El Dorado County Registrar of Voters in Placerville. The Board has directed the General Manager/Secretary Clerk of the Board, Carl Clark, to prepare the agenda based on information collected from present and past GDRD Board members, the El Dorado County Registrar of Voters, and the California Special Districts Association. The Forum for Prospective Board Members will be on Monday, July 19, 2010, 7:00 pm at the Greenwood Community Center.
Materials will be available to inform prospective members of the duties and responsibilities of board members. Clark said there will be discussion on topics such as time commitment, the Brown Act, policy development, budget responsibilities, current issues, and the general role the local board has in the community. Past and present Board members will be on hand to answer questions and participate in the discussion.
Clark said, "several people have inquired in the Board positions in the past, asking about the stipend and benefits for the GDRD Board. The GDRD Board is one of the few that is totally voluntary. No stipend is paid and the GDRD does not pay for medical, dental, or retirement benefits."
"It is unusual to have all five seats up for election. This year we will have the regular two four–year term seats up for election along with three two–year term seats, since they were appointed in the past two years for members that resigned. We must be careful as we prepare the information for the Forum and advertising for it. We cannot use any of the existing Board members names in advertising to adhere to State Law. It is unusual also for seated Board members to create a Forum like this, since they all said they are planning to file to be returned to their current seats on the Board."
The current Board established this Forum so that anyone interested in serving on the Board would have the opportunity to be informed prior to filing for election. The meeting is open to the public, not just people contemplating becoming a candidate. There is no charge to attend the Forum.
Another option for potential Board members is to attend the regular monthly meeting of the Board on July 22 at 7:00 pm at the Greenwood Community Center. A detailed agenda will be available 72 hours prior to the meeting.
The filing dates for the Board positions begin July 12, 2010 and close August 6, 2010. More information can be obtained from Clark at the GDRD offices, 530-333-4000, or from Diane Guyon at the El Dorado County Registrar of Voters at 621-7480.
Pool / Recreation Center Grant Update
At the June GDRD Board meeting, the Board heard a report that their request to move the grant funding to a new site is slowly making its way through the State of California Department of Recreation and Parks. GDRD was awarded $872,000 from State Park Bond funds to build the first public swimming pool on the Divide and a recreation center next to it. Detailed planning efforts have been ongoing since 2006. With infrastructure costs for bringing water to the site and getting roadway access approaching $1 million, the GDRD approved consideration of alternate sites.
The Board settled on property near Garden Valley Park which is currently on the Golden Sierra High School site. We obtained initial commitment from the BOMUSD Board of Trustees for the transfer of the property to facilitate GDRD constructing the facilities with State grant funds. Detailed plans are underway for the facilities. The State requires resubmission of the grant applications with the change of location. These documents were approved for submission to the BOMUSD and the State at a GDRD Board meeting in 2009.
2010–2011 Budget Approved
The Georgetown Divide Recreation District Board of Directors adopted its annual Budget with little fanfare and no threats of cutbacks. With the District planning for the economic downturn and eventual State budget impacts for the past three years, the Board was afforded the opportunity to continue positive movement in providing services to the community. In approving the $279,622 Operating Budget, the Board increased spending from last year’s spending plan by $29,731 primarily due to the possible costs for charges from the El Dorado County Registrar of Voters to conduct the mandatory general election for the Board. They lowered general tax revenue estimates for the third year due to the economic downturn and an expected take–away by the State for reimbursement of “mandated costs”. Past years lowered projections served the District well gaving the District flexibility to continue plans for full–year operations at the Old Greenwood Schoolhouse. The Schoolhouse was transferred to the GDRD by the Greenwood Civic Organization enabling an expanded Community Partners Program that continues to meet local group needs.
In his message to the Board, General Manager Carl Clark, urged the Board “to continue its commitment to make a contribution toward a General Reserve Fund for the future. This would help the GDRD insulate itself from the State economic issues, and new facilities in planning including a grant funded recreation center and pool. There are still many unknowns out of our control in this budget that we will address when we adopt the Final Budget in September.”
The Board approved a reserve contribution of $25,000 and held a contingency fund of $30,000 to absorb additional possible State take–a–ways and a further downturn in economy. Clark also noted that long–term funding decisions will be necessary in the next year to set and implement the District’s 20-year Financial Master Plan.
Thank You
PartnersThanks to GDRD Community Partners for their contribution to the district. Gold Country Girls Softball revamped the dug–outs at Beam Field and Peoples Mt. Market stained the benches at Garden Valley Park. Great job!
