Financial Overhaul
Financial management is the lifeblood of a complex operation like NID. Good decisions require clear, accurate, and timely information.
Before Karen joined the NID Board in 2020, the accounting structure and financial reporting/controls were weak. Multiple audits identified the need for corrective actions — but the work hadn't happened. Karen's prior executive experience at UC Davis put her in a position to play a leadership role in the transformation, which was a monumental effort for staff and management. Account structure, overhead allocation, transfers, reconciliations, investments, and purchasing policies all went through an extreme makeover.
Through Karen's work, NID now has dramatically better accuracy and understanding of its financial health — bringing crystal clarity to expense and revenue structures for each line of business. Investment management has been changed to increase returns and reduce risk. Controls have been enacted to ensure appropriate board involvement in financial decisions. And audits are now completed in a timely and accurate manner.
Rate Control
Managing the affordability of water in our district is a top priority — all the more so because residents, farmers, and ranchers are getting hammered with increased costs for food, insurance, energy, and more.
The fact that rates have not been raised since 2021 is another testimony to Karen's financial leadership.
This remarkable accomplishment was done by carefully controlling capital expenditures and other investments. Staffing levels were reduced by reorganizing departments, streamlining processes, and increasing automation. Recreation fees were increased to bring them in line with market norms. All this occurred during a time of high inflation and growing regulation that increased the cost of operations.
The work on the rate model for 2025 is underway. Karen is committed to keeping rates as affordable as possible while simultaneously ensuring that we are investing adequately in our infrastructure and water storage. Keeping water affordable for every water user in the district will be no small feat. It will take the same type of good data and smart choices that Karen has proven herself capable of in the past four years.
Plan for Water
Making smart choices about future investments requires good information — which is something NID didn't have four years ago.
Before Karen joined the Board of NID in 2020, considerable time and money had been spent promoting the need for the Centennial Dam — a proposed dam on the Bear River below Rollins Reservoir. A new analysis using current science and advanced data modeling has revealed that the extremely high cost, long development timelines, and location of the proposed dam at the bottom of our watershed make it a less desirable choice for our district.
With Karen's support, NID launched the Plan for Water (PFW) process in December 2022. Stakeholders across the district were invited to participate in this public process with a goal of finding the best way to ensure water reliability over the next fifty years.
The PFW process:
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Included a comprehensive review of NID's current water demands and available supply.
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Clarified the likely impacts of changing weather patterns on our future water supply by analyzing multiple potential climate scenarios.
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Identified over a dozen options for addressing future water requirements — complete with analysis of costs, benefits, and risks to help NID Directors make smart choices.
The PFW complements NID's existing Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), which is used to guide near-term infrastructure investments.
One of the key outcomes of the PFW was the use of more comprehensive and reliable information to complete NID's Five-Year Strategic Plan which sets and measures acheivement of challenging goals that strengthen the district.
Following completion of the Plan for Water, master plans for treated and raw water systems, hydro-electric operations, watershed, and administration will be completed. These master plans will guide investments in the 5 to 25 year time horizon.
Division 3 Improvements
Karen lives and farms in Division 3, which is one of the largest and most beautiful of NID's divisions. From Alta Sierra Ranches, to Lake of the Pines, to Mt. Pleasant, Division 3 includes much of Bear River and stretches East beyond McCourtney Road. With Karen's leadership, we've made a lot of progress in the past four years.
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Combie Phase I Pipeline — Delivering water to 5,077 homes, 525 irrigation customers, and 3,427 treated water customers. Complete.
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David Way Pump Station — Replaced a badly deteriorated pump station. Complete.
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Table Meadow III — Installed 3,300' of pipe and 3 fire hydrants to serve 21 parcels. Complete.
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Combie Sourth Powerhouse Access Road — Built new road to address safety concerns. Complete.
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North Auburn Water Treatment Plant — Rebuilding the motor control center. In construction.
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Maben Canal IV — Final phase of new canal. Scheduled.
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Combie-Ophir Siphons — Installing 853' of pipe to replace Orr Creek Siphon. Scheduled.