With Ed Ringle initiating a recall against them, and calling them “stuck” and “over their heads” in their positions, Beatty Water and Sanitation District Board of Trustees members Amina Anderson and Jeannie Ybarra are defending themselves against the recall.
Ybarra says that Ringle’s action is the result of “us following the rules and not to his liking.”
She says that Ringle wanted the board to bypass rules and regulations for his projects, and that he doesn’t want to go through required processes and procedures.
In his July 26 presentation to the Beatty Town Advisory Board he accused the two of hoarding Beatty’s water supply and said that the Water District was the “biggest hindrance” to development in Beatty.
“Protecting the water supply in Beatty is what our job is,” counters Ybarra.
“Mr. Ringle is a developer at heart,” says Anderson. “As such, he may not understand the role of the Water District or what it means to hold public office. The responsibilities of holding public office vary from office to office, but the underlying principle is the decisions that are made should be in the best interest of the whole community and not the individual. The Open Meeting Law is a great reference to help clearly define personal gain and conflict of interest.”
“The role of Beatty Water and Sanitation District is to provide safe drinking water to our customers at an affordable rate. Historically, this is an arid region with more demand than recharge to the ground water aquifers in the immediate area.”
“The District is responsible for assuring the town has access to an adequate supply of safe drinking water for its residents, and the current customers of the District come first when prioritizing the usage of water.”
“That does not mean any of the board members are against growth, although it is reasonable to expect growth to be both responsible and sustainable.”
“It is also important that the costs of development be the responsibility of the developer and not the burden of the customer base. Any expenses the District incurs are shared between its customers in the form of our rates. Asset management and infrastructure replacement play a big part in the calculation of those rates and fees.”
“The rules and regulations of the District ensure the fees and rates apply to all present and future customers. The District would be doing a disservice to the community if it were to deviate from its own rules for the benefit of a particular developer.”
“It is not our role to subsidize any individual developer, and they would be doing so at the expense of the other members of the community.”
Ybarra also said that it was her understanding that a recall was supposed to be based on someone having done something wrong.
“Enforcing the rules is not wrong,” she concluded.
Richard Stephens is a freelance reporter living in Beatty.