It has been an honor and pleasure to serve as President this past year. It’s been another quiet year for the Blue Lake Springs Mutual Water Company (BLSMWC), after years of infrastructure improvements. Our water supply is in very good shape!
As you know, we have an agreement to purchase water from the Calaveras County Water District (CCWD), which helps to supplement our water supply. Our General Manager, Taylor Mayo, continues to work closely with the CCWD ensuring that we can plan for any upcoming increases to our water rates.
The BLSMWC staff completed several projects last year: infrastructure improvements on Boro Court; the cleaning of Tank 6 (which stores half our water supply); and a lead line inventory project required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Our General Manager details more information on these projects in this Bubbler.
The BLSMWC has 4 operating committees in which the Board, Shareholders, and the General Manager all participate. These committees are Finance and Rates/Investment Management; Infrastructure and Facilities; Personnel; and Water Supply, Conservation, and Outreach. Interested Shareholders are
encouraged to get involved and join a committee.
This past year the Finance and Rates and Investment Management committees were combined into the Fi-nance and Rates/Investment Management committee. This committee is led by director Craig Lutz and includes directors Bill Cover and Jon Dashner. They met several times last fall, working closely with the
General Manager, to recommend our new base rate and consumptive charges. These numbers are based on the price of water that we pump and treat as well as the water purchased from CCWD. (We purchase half our water from CCWD.) This committee also oversees the BLSMWC investments, keeping them on track and making recommendations to the Board for any changes. These investments help us meet our financial needs for upcoming projects in both the near and distant future.
The Infrastructure and Facilities committee is led by director Craig Lutz and includes directors Bill Cover and Dan Crosby, and the General Manager. This committee looks at possible water system improvement projects. Most of these projects are outlined in the Board’s Capital Asset Management Plan.
The Personnel committee consists of directors Bruce Utter and Jeff Jones. This committee focuses on the compensation and benefits for the BLSMWC’s employees, with input from the General Manager.
The Water Supply, Conservation and Outreach committee is led by director Jeff Jones, myself, and the
BLSMWC staff.
I want to thank all of the directors for serving on the Board and for volunteering for these committees. You are all treasured assets, helping the BLSMWC grow and strive into the future. I appreciate all the time and effort that you have given, and continue to give, to the BLSMWC.
I’d like to especially thank Dan Crosby and Bruce Utter for serving on the Board for 6 and 4 years, respectively. Dan and Bruce will be retiring from the Board this year. Dan was on the Investment Management and the Infrastructure and Facilities committees during his time. Bruce was on the Personnel committee during his entire time on the Board. I learned so much from both Dan and Bruce over the years as they shared their experiences and perspectives with the Board. I wish them both the best.
I would like to recognize Tyler Mayo’s efforts as the General Manager toward another successful year. His strong leadership is evident through the hard work and dedication of all the BLSMWC employees. It’s easy to take for granted the simple concept of turning on a faucet and having water come out. The BLSMWC field crew works around the clock, all year, to make sure the water stays flowing even when the power goes out. The BLSMWC office crew provides excellent customer service to our shareholders, ready to answer any questions that arise. (It’s easy to forget what goes on behind the scenes.) Tyler also continues to plan for the future, including coordinating with all the committees so everything stays on track, while managing all the day-to-day activities. Thank you to Tyler and your team for all your hard work this year keeping the water flowing.
Thank you to Shareholder Jeannie Multhaup for always volunteering at the office for whatever needs to be done — including assisting with our elections.
As you might have heard, the BLSMWC Board did not receive a quorum for the 2025-2026 election. If you have not voted, we need you to vote! There are 3 ways to cast your vote: online through our website; using the ballot that was mailed to your address in May; or coming by the BLSMWC office on Blagen Road to cast your vote. We need your vote so we can elect a new director to serve another term, as well as conduct
business at the next Shareholder meeting on July 10, 2025. Thank you for voting!
Again, thank you to the directors who have served and hopefully will be serving on the Board next year!
I hope everybody has a great summer!
Sharon Tobias, President
Board of Directors
Blue Lake Springs Mutual Water Company