Ever wonder just how many people live in the Don Pedro area?

Official figures set it at about 3,300, more or less.

But for purposes of the Lake Don Pedro Community Services District, “less” is better than “more.”

Interim General Manager Jeff Mann reported to the Board of Directors at their January 19 meeting that the California Department of Public Health recently updated the district’s population to 3,300 people, based on the fact that there are 1,440 water meters in the area.

However, Mann reported that there would be benefits to the district if their population was set just a bit lower.

If the district can show its population is below 3,300, it will be classified as a small water system, which would allow them to qualify for grants to train operators. It also would affect the district’s water testing schedule and would reduce the water sampling required, Mann reported.

Financial Administrator Charise Reeves put together a population analysis for the area. Her figures showed the district has 1,150 meters in the La Grange Zip code area (95329), with an average household size (per census) of 2.58 and a total population of 1,736.

The district has 280 meters in the Coulterville Zip code area (95311), average household size of 2.39 and total population of 2,256

The LDPCSD staff submitted Reeves’ report to the state health department with a request that the local population be set at 3,240. That figure was based on the reasoning that the district has 314 meters with zero consumption for the year. Some of those reflect vacation homes, and others, an estimated 50 percent, are vacant due to foreclosure.

In other board business, Reeves reported that the LDPCSD will be reimbursed for three counterfeit checks that were written and cashed recently using the district’s checking account number.

Reeves told the board that Guaranty Bank will reimburse the district for $1,654.89, the amount of the three fraudulent checks.

The district has opened a new checking account and the old one will be closed after the remaining legitimate checks have cleared the bank, she said.

Directors also approved spending $4,500 to have the Sturtevant and Coronado water tanks cleaned and leaks repaired. The Sturtevant tank will be fenced at a cost of $5,600 to protect it from grazing cattle. The changes are being required by the state as part of the permitting process, according to interim General Manager Jeff Mann.

In other business, Director Bill Kinsella complained that Board President Wes Barton failed to reply to an email he had recently sent to Barton and the other board members.

“I expected a response,” he told Barton. “You will never ignore me again. I won’t put up with it.” He hinted that there would be consequences for future instances, but did not specify what he planned to do about it.

Barton replied that it is not his policy to answer letters that could be interpreted as a serial board meeting.

The board’s attorney, Ray Carlson, agreed that if board members try to discuss district business in private email exchanges with each other, “it could be a serial meeting.” Serial meetings are informal encounters in which trustees all eventually discuss a matter two at a time, outside of board meetings. They are prohibited by the Ralph M. Brown Act, California’s law governing what business must be discussed in public.

Also at the meeting, Director Emery Ross went on the record as objecting to the way the district is handling overtime for managers.

“ ‘Exempt’ means exempt from receiving overtime, not exempt from keeping accurate records of time worked,” Ross read from a written statement.

“…This is an issue of accountability for managers who have to be held to a higher standard than private company managers because they are working with the public’s money.”

He voiced a concern that the district could be liable for lawsuits by other employees who do keep track of all time worked. “Meanwhile, the District will not have a record of time worked to dispute these claims,” Ross said.

The Lake Don Pedro Community Services District Board meets the third Monday of each month at 1 pm in the district office board room, 9751 Merced Falls Road.