June 7, 2023 customers flowed right into McLendon-Chisholm City Hall wanting answers from RCH WSC Board Directors who have failed to meet their purpose of providing continuous and adequate retail water service at the monthly Board Meeting. Water customers have been in the dark for years and have slowly woken up after the July 13, 2022 shut off. Instead of following through with an immediate remedy with a municipality that is already serving wastewater services to a master planned community. The board president claims after an executive session received counsel which led for the RCH WSC Board voting in favor to issue a RFP for RCH Water Supply for the sale and transfer of RCH assets to a third party.

So what’s the problem and is there a solution?

Thank you for reading to be informed and for taking part of the RCH WSC WATCH. Save the date for 6:30pm, Tuesday, June 13, 2023 for the McLendon-Chisholm City Council Meeting at McLendon-Chisholm City Hall. Please review the agenda to hear the discussion, presentations, and action to consider a utility service provider for interim operation, maintenance and billing services for water utilities. Comment below if you plan to be there and if you have questions please send to me or the City Administrator Konrad Hildebrandt at: cityadministrator@mclendon-chisholm.com.

RCH WSC Agenda for June 7, 2023

RCH Board Meetings are temporarily held at City Hall

In case you missed the RCH WSC Board Meeting on May 3, 2023 it was the day that Operator Technician Dwight Lindop stacked his metal clip boards that included a list of some part-time [phone] numbers who to call to do stuff for RCH Water Supply Corporation. Left the keys to the pump station, pager and shook David Naylor’s hand, “It’s been a pleasure.”

After the executive session Robin Baley [H2O Services] expressed to the newly elected Board President David Naylor that she needed Lindop to provide her numbers for her work to do the billing and administration. Ms. Baley said that she would help in the transition but she is done.

Quick notes on the Public Meeting

Naylor recognized Shon Bellah City of Rockwall Pump Tech Supervisor and Robin Mayall Project Manager of Blackland Water Supply Corporation who temporarily helped RCH WSC during this disorderly time.

Followed by the Open Forum where ten speakers stepped up to speak in the following order to address the Board: Lorna Kipphut, Adrienne Balkum, Frances Gibbons, Kelly Lindop, Michael Grose, Geoffrey Kemp, Scott T (from HPR), Steven Smith, Steve Frank and Chris George

RCH WSC BANK ACCOUNTS

Next on the agenda was addressing the issue that some board directors did not have access to the bank accounts. Warren Hodges who is currently named as a signatory did request to be removed. Naylor motioned to add appointed Board Director Steve Hatfield, Secretary/Treasurer Jackie Pullen and himself to be the signatories.

System Improvements

Naylor decided to pass discussing an immediate improvement such as the SCADA System. Allegedly, he spoke with the engineer Tyler Henderickson, P.E. of Velvin & Weeks about a spot over by High Point Ranch subject to an agreement with Blackland and the City of Rockwall. Blackland‘s line is over there and he claims this could help alleviate the water pressure issues in High Point Ranch. Naylor says that he really doesn’t have a cost estimate but it may be around $200,000.

Waiving Late Fees and Adjusting the Usage Charge Levels

RCH WSC Board approved waiving of the late fees and adjusting the usage charge levels as upcoming charges will reflect usage for multiple months. There has been no audit presented by the new auditor Rutherford Taylor in Greenville and the RCH Board has presented no appropriate financials to the customers for inspection.

What ACTION was taken after Executive Session?

After allegedly meeting with “unnamed counsel” during executive session, Naylor motioned for RCH issue a RFP for RCH Water Supply for the sale and transfer of RCH assets to a third party. Pullen seconded it and it was unanimously approved.

View Request for Proposals to Acquire the RCH System

The two page RFP was posted on RCH WSC website on June 7, 2023 and Board President Naylor sent via email to multiple entities using his Rayburn Electric email account. Previous to the board meeting David Naylor informally offered the same entities to operate the RCH system and was willing to discuss offering the CCN.

Naylor received multiple rejections and was unaware that McLendon-Chisholm officials were informed of the bizarre requests.

Despite the disreputable actions by most of the RCH WSC board directors McLendon-Chisholm public officials still attempted to address transfer concerns by requesting meetings, providing assistance for a placement of a secure payment lockbox, allowing a new meeting location, sharing press releases and a whole lot more.

Local meter reader speaks up

During the open forum we learned that Dwight Lindop’s family were involved in providing meter services and confirmed that [Board President] Naylor was provided their numbers to call to read the meters manually. Kelly Lindop shared that she was a meter reader for RCH for 6 years and her sister-in-law Dana was a meter reader for 18 years. Dwight Lindop provided their [phone] numbers to David Naylor at the May 3, 2023 meeting before he unceremoniously left. She shared that they were willing in this transition period to help and [Board President] David Naylor never contacted them.

Former Council Member Lorna Kipphut Says, “Stop Shopping For Other Buyers”

On September 15, 2022 RCH WSC Board President Jackie Pullen and Board Director Steve Hatfield asked to sit down with former Council Member Lorna Kipphut and McLendon-Chisholm City Administrator Konrad Hildebrandt. The meeting was called at their request. At that meeting they stated they wanted to start the RCH transfer to the City of McLendon-Chisholm. RCH [Board Directors] believed the time is right and the corporation responsibilities have grown the capabilities of RCH.

“Nearly one year later we are no where,” said former Council Member Kipphut. “Stop the fear mongering that the City will only take care of City customers. That’s not true and you know it. I’m confident in the City Staff, the Mayor and the City Council will look for a way to make it fair and an equitable service customer wide. Stop shopping for other buyers. Conclude the transfer so that the City can get this up to the 21st century and service for all customers.”

Public Safety Concerns

Here is what I had to say as the Mayor Pro Tem of the City of McLendon-Chisholm, “As former Council Member Lorna Kipphut said you were offered an Asset Transfer Agreement on September 28, 2022. There was an item that was supposed to be done which was to host an election with a ballot measure for or against a transfer of assets [to the City of McLendon-Chisholm.]

As of May 24, 2023 there was a resolution provided to you by mail and/or by email. We are offering an immediate remedy to start as early as tomorrow [June 8, 2023]. We would like for you to vote in favor of this so that we address the immediate needs of improvements at the pumping station and to offer operational agreements with authorized providers that can facilitate operations and billing administration. Currently, we have billing administration and operations for Sonoma Verde residents managed by Inframark. They have a 40 person call center and they will be able to handle the work load that will come in the next few months. Our City has money that can be approved for other needs like meter upgrades to be read automatically and not manually.

Several months ago, I started a timeline while serving on the City Water Committee. In case there was ever any doubt, there are numerous actions taken that we are committed and we even allowed a secure lockbox installation outside City Hall for customer payments.

At the end of the day, we all have a problem which is capacity of water. There are things that we can do as a municipality so I hope you partner with us to move forward [with this transfer].

We had a fire on May 4, an incident [at the pumping station], another fire on May 5 and May 7. We are concerned about our fire fighters, as well as, every citizen to be able to have [residential] water. We have got to make sure that our guys [fire fighters] have every piece of equipment to be available to them. This is a public safety concern.

In addition to that I have provided the daily usage consumption report because this information is not being provided to the customers. They need to know where we are since we are limited to 2.1 mgd [and on Stage 2].”

11 months ago…

On July 18, 2022 I spoke to the Rockwall Mayor and City Council, “If Mr. Pullen and/or the remaining RCH Board ignores these requests and is not making efforts to apply as a customer for NTMWD I will proceed to the next steps needed that is available for RCH customers. I am fully prepared to do so.

My hope for you is to hear me when I say we want to be good neighbors and we want to work with you. Thank you for extending the grace that you have all these years. I hope that we can get the matter resolved soon. If Mr. Pullen and/or RCH doesn’t show concerted effort to accept new candidates, discuss the agenda provided, improve their customer communications, agree to post board agenda/minutes or pursue the process of becoming a NTMWD customer, then one of my goals will be to spend considerable time reaching out to RCH customers to pursue an alternative qualified CCN provider.”

Final thoughts…

“Relationships are all about trust in each other. When you have to become a detective, then it’s time to move on.”
– Unknown

I want to say thank you for showing up. For your encouragement along this journey. One must have fortitude to break down these walls. Our community should be coming together about this precious resource to be managed administratively better and to have necessary improvements in an orderly manner. Please feel free to comment below and share this article.