Securing water for your future is vital to your family, your business, and your community. The Douglas County Water Commission – which met for the first time Monday afternoon – was established to work collaboratively with water providers and other stakeholders in Douglas County to achieve that mission.
During their first meeting, the Water Commission discussed transparency, public trust, as well as administrative and procedural responsibilities, and determined a regular monthly meeting date for the fourth Monday of the month at 3:30 p.m. Commission members also discussed an approach to establishing their Technical Advisory Committee, Commission budget, and an approach to the creation of the Douglas County 2050 Comprehensive Water Plan, a primary goal of the Commission.
The Commission also touched on the role of member alternates, 11 appointees who will serve as proxies for each member, who were named earlier in the day by the Board of Douglas County Commissioners.
Water Commission members and their alternates, in parentheses, are:
Representing Commissioner District I are: James Eklund (James Myers), Jack Hilbert (William Wasserman), and Donald Langley (Merlin Klotz). Clark Hammelman (Randy Reed), James Maras (Michael Freemire), and Roger Hudson (Max Brooks) will represent District II. District III representatives are Frank Johns (William “Mickey” Conway), Evan Ela (Kim Haarberg), and Harold Smethills (Kurt Walker). At-large members are Sean Tonner (Craig Broughton), and Tricia Bernhardt (James Yates).
The goal of the Commission – through a culture of collaboration and mutually beneficial outcomes – is the integration of existing Douglas County water provider plans into the 2050 Comprehensive Douglas County Water Plan that will:
- Identify strategic policies addressing water infrastructure and storage, supply acquisition, reclamation, conservation practices, the water-land use nexus, and agricultural efficiency; and
- Broaden public awareness of and familiarity with issues of water supply and provision of services in Douglas County through sustainable community engagement and education initiatives.
There are several ways to stay connected with the Douglas County Water Commission’s work:
- Read Water Commission member bios online.
- Visit the Water Commission webpage for meeting schedule, agendas and minutes
- Sign up to receive the Water Commission agendas via email.
- Watch a recording of the first meeting on YouTube.
The next Douglas County Water Commission meeting is planned for 3:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 22, 2024.