NEWMAN LAKE FLOOD CONTROL ZONE DISTRICT ADVISORY BOARD VACANCIES

The Newman Lake Flood Control Zone District (NLFCZD) is currently accepting applications to fill two (2) upcoming terms that are expiring on January 1, 2021, on the Advisory Board.

APPLICATION

ABOUT THE DISTRICT:

The NLFCZD was created on October 29, 1968. Its mission includes, but is not limited to:

• Maintaining Newman Lake flood control facilities and managing the level of the lake;
• Maintaining and improving the water quality of the lake;
• Minimizing the impact of watershed activities on water quality; and,
• Controlling invasive plant species in the lake.

The District is supervised by the Spokane County Board of County Commissioners and administered by the Spokane County Engineer. The NLFCZD Advisory Board was created to provide opinion and input to the County Engineer and his staff on policy decisions, budget issues, project priorities, and other concerns.

ABOUT THE ADVISORY BOARD:

The Advisory Board (AB) consists of eight members: five voting members and three alternate non-voting members. The positions are typically retained for a term of four years, but at times a position is filled to finish a remaining term, and may in fact be less than a full four years. These terms are managed this way to stagger the terms in order to maintain diversity on the Board. These are non-paid positions.

It is the policy of the NLFCZD to keep as much diverse perspective on the Advisory Board as possible. Accordingly, the positions on the Advisory Board are filled to represent different interests within the community, including: forestry and/or agriculture, seasonal and year-round lakefront residents, and a representative on a formal Newman Lake community group, such as a homeowner’s association.

The Advisory Board typically meets quarterly with the Board of County Commissioner who represents the District, the County Engineer, and County District Staff. In addition, this past few years, in an effort to become more closely involved in all things Newman Lake, the Advisory

Board, as a Board, as met monthly. Advisory Board Members occasionally attend other evening community meetings / events, such as the Ice Cream Social, Regional Lakes Conference, a Summer AB community meeting, and District Staff’s Fall Open House, for example, to gather additional input from the lake community. Advisory Board Members may also voluntarily spend time researching issues, providing ongoing input, and reviewing District projects, for example, outside of scheduled meeting times.

Note that priority is given to applicants who pay District assessments, especially for Voting positions. The appointment of more than one Advisory Board Member from the same family will be discouraged. No person shall be appointed to an Advisory Board position if fulfilling the appointment will extend the person’s total appointment time on the Advisory Board to more than eight (8) consecutive years.

CURRENT ADVISORY BOARD:

Position No. 1 (Voting)
Lee Tate (assessment Payer)
Forestry & Agriculture
Term Expires 2021

Position No. 2 (Voting)
Dennis Rewinkel (assessment payer)
Year-Round, Lakefront
2022

Position No. 3 (Voting)
Karen Stebbins (assessment payer)
Community Representative
2024

Position No. 4 (voting)
LeaAnn Gould (assessment payer)
Seasonal, Lakefront
2022

Position No. 5 (voting)
Suzanne O’Connell (assessment payer)
No specific representation defined
2021

Position No. 1 (non-voting)
Karen Lee Taff (assessment payer)
Year Round, Secondary
2022

Position No. 2 (non-voting)
Polly Phipps (assessment payer)
No specific representation defined
2024

Position No. 3 (non-voting)
Dan Clark (assessment payer)
No specific representation defined
2023

*Term expires on January 1st of stated year

ABOUT THE VACANCIES:

The open positions are for Position No. 1 and Position No. 5, which are both Voting Positions. Note that depending upon whether those positions are filled with new applicants, or promoted from an Alternate Non-Voting Position (should those AB Members apply for a Voting Position), there could, in fact, be an open position (or positions) for an Alternate Non-Voting Position.

When you apply, all positions and movement within the Advisory Board is considered. Both Positions will run for four (4) years, expiring on January 1, 2025.

Candidates should have:

• A strong desire to represent the interests of the community and make Newman Lake a great place to live.
• The desire and ability to work on a team where members have diverse interests and opinions; the ability to remain open-minded, find consensus with others, and propose viable solutions.
• A willingness to actively seek input and opinions from other community members.
• Knowledge of the history and environment surrounding Newman Lake is a

HOW TO APPLY:

If interested in applying for either of these positions, please complete an Advisory Board Membership Application and return to the address below. Applications need to be received no later than 5:00 PM on Thursday, December 3, 2020. CLICK HERE FOR APPLICATION

If you have any questions, please contact Colleen Little at the e-mail address provided, or at the phone number noted below.

Applications will be reviewed by County Staff, and by current Advisory Board members. Interviews will be held, if deemed necessary by County District Staff and the current AB, with final recommendations forwarded to the Board of County Commissioners for final approval.

We encourage anyone with an interest to please apply.

Colleen S. Little, P.E.
Environmental Programs and Floodplain Manager Newman Lake Flood Control Zone District Manager Spokane County Public Works
1026 W Broadway Avenue Spokane, WA 99260-0170
(509) 638-5895 (cell)
clittle@spokanecounty.org