Cherokee Metro recalls two board members
By Marylou Bride
In June, the Cherokee Metropolitan District recalled two board members. Kim Wilson and Jeremy Atkinson replaced the ousted board members and will serve until May 2025. Other changes include a new interim manager. According to the Cherokee website, Brian Beaudette is the new interim manager, which means Amy Lathen is no longer with Cherokee. On the agenda for the July 24 board meeting, one of the items was a “final agreement with former manager” (likely that manager was Amy Lathen).
A July 13 Gazette article discussed an agreement between Cherokee Metro and Meridian Service Metropolitan District and the Upper Black Squirrel Creek Groundwater Basin. If approved, the agreement will allow for increased water rights for thousands of new customers. The Gazette article indicated that the deal had been signed off on; however, a follow-up statement from The Gazette on July 17, stated that the Groundwater Commission hearing officer had not signed off on the agreement.
Dave Doran, the president of the UBSCGB, said the hearing officer gave a verbal OK to the agreement and said he would sign off on the deal, but that has not happened. The water commission cannot change the agreement; their job is to approve it, Doran said. Once it’s signed, it’s granted in perpetuity, he said. The process was halted when a July 3 hearing was canceled. “I don’t know why it was canceled,” Doran said. “At this point, it is totally in the hands of the hearing officers. The agreement is more than 30 pages long; Doran said, “It’s a good thing.”
In response to an NFH inquiry about the delay in the signing of the agreement, the Groundwater Commission sent a statement by Bryan Garrett, hearing officer — which doesn’t answer the reason for a delay.
“Our office cannot answer specifics. In general, the Hearing Officer either accepts or rejects a stipulation. If the stipulation is accepted, the Hearing Officer drafts an initial order reflecting the stipulation. Once the initial order is filed, parties may object to the initial order. If no one timely objects, the initial order becomes the final order of the Ground Water Commission. If someone does timely object, then the matter goes before the Groundwater Commission, who can do one of three things: accept the Hearing Officer’s decision, reject it, or remand it to the Hearing Officer for additional findings, hearings, and orders.”
Editor’s note: The NFH will follow up and provide details on the agreement between the two districts and the UBSCGB.
