As the current Vista Irrigation District Director for Division 3 and a candidate for election on November 8th, “What does an Irrigation District Board member do?” is one of the most common questions asked when talking with ratepayers. It is a great question that has many answers. Here is a quick outline on some of the roles and responsibilities of a Vista Irrigation Board member.
Vista Irrigation has a five-member governing Board, elected to four-year terms. Each Board member represents a Division. The ultimate decision-making responsibility of the Vista Irrigation District rests with a five-member governing board. Each Board member is expected to be an active community member. I was unanimously appointed to the Board of Directors on June 1, 2022 to represent Division 3 which encompasses central and northeast Vista and unincorporated areas of the county of San Diego.
Vista Irrigation District board meetings are generally held at 9:00 AM on the first and third Wednesday of each month. All meetings are held at the District office located at 1391 Engineer Street in Vista. Meetings are open to the public, and agendas are posted the Friday prior to each scheduled meeting.
Board members are expected to be aware of needs of the District and the Division they serve. The Board establishes policies that ensure fiscal stability and the effective use of funds that may be revised as the needs of the District change over time. This is accomplished by regular attendance and participation at Board meetings and outside meeting involving the City, County, San Diego County Water Authority, regional and State agencies. Each Board member is expected to provide knowledge and understanding of local, regional, state, and national issues that have relevance on the operations of the District, the ratepayers, City of Vista and the surrounding community.
Each Board member relies on their experience and understanding of local and state water issues to fulfil their roles. The ratepayers of Vista Irrigation are represented by a talented Board that includes individuals with skills and knowledge from careers in commercial construction, civil engineering, city government, land use planning, and the public water industry. This diverse experience enables the Board to set a high level of strategic success and achievement when planning and approving long term capital improvements and preventative maintenance projects. The ultimate goal is to strive to exceed ratepayers’ expectations and proactively explore opportunities to provide better service at affordable costs.
The Board hires the General Manager to manage the day-to-day operations of the District. The General Manager’s role is to ensure that District staff maintains efficient operations and cost-effective methods to provide a reliable supply of high-quality water to the ratepayers. The Board holds the General Manager accountable for the effective operational management of the District. The responsibility of the Board, through the policies it adopts, and direction it provides to the General Manager, is to ensure that the District is a progressive, transparent, innovative, and well-managed agency. Board members also review monthly and quarterly detailed reports staff reports on operations to ensure that the goals and objectives to the strategic plan are being met and expenditures are within the established budget.
When I was unanimously appointed to the Board of Directors and choose to run for election this November, these responsibilities were not new to me, or unexpected. I remain ready to serve the Vista Irrigation ratepayers. For the last 18 years, I have worked for the Association of California Water Agency Joint Powers Insurance Authority (ACWA JPIA), a public agency, as their Lead Risk Advisor. My roles and responsibilities include overseeing and evaluating water district operations, and reviewing infrastructure and maintenance programs with the primary goal to work with public water district’s management and staff in the development and implementation of policies and procedures to protect district’s assets and to safeguard the public. These efforts improve operating efficiencies and reduce costs for district’s ratepayers, but also lower the potential for injury and damage claims. Over the years, I have built positive and long-term relationships with other water districts, directors and general managers within the San Diego and Southern California region. Among my qualification are holding State Water treatment, distribution and wastewater certifications.
I am the one uniquely qualified and experienced candidate running for the Vista Irrigation District Division 3 Board of Director seat and I appreciate your support on November 8th. Please reach out if you have questions to peter.kuchinsky@vidwater.org, Kuchinsky4VIDWater@gmail.com or @KUCHINSKY4VIDWater.
Selected Endorsements:
• Vista Firefighters Association – Local 4107
• Vista Irrigation Board of Directors – Unanimously Appointed to fill Division 3 seat
Elected Officials
• Joe Green – City of Vista Councilmember, District 2
• Corinna Contreras – City of Vista Councilmember, District 1
• Katie Melendez – City of Vista Councilmember, District 3
• David Drake, Board President and Director for Division 2 with Rincon del Diablo MWD
• Neal Meyers, Olivenhain Municipal Water District Division 5 Director
Community Leaders
• Dave Cowles, Vista Community Clinic Board of Directors, Former VUSD Superintendent, Past City of Vista Councilmember
• Cristine Clark – 40+ year Vista Resident and local real estate agent
