Issues of transparency and fee schedules emerged as top concerns for the Heights Water District during a candidate forum.
Only four of the eight candidates vying for Billings Heights Water District board positions participated in the candidate forum sponsored by the Heights Task Force. Of the three board incumbents only Donna Dinsmore was among those who made themselves available via “Zoom” and Facebook on Tuesday evening to answer questions. Other candidates who participated included Ming Cabrera, Laura Drager and Josh Benson.
Also running for the three open seats on the board are incumbents Steven Blood and Roger Ostermiller, as well as Janet Carson, and Dennis Cook.
The all-mail ballot election will be held May 4, and ballots will be mailed out on April 16. Non-resident property owners of the district must register with the Election’s Office in order to get a ballot.
During the forum, questions were posed to the candidates by Jennifer Owen who chairs the Heights Task Force.
She asked each candidate, “Why are you running to be on the board?”
“I have a passion for it,” said Donna Dinsmore, who said that she has served on the HWD Board for 32 years and emphasized she was elected, dispelling claims that there has never been an election of board members. County Election’s Director Bret Rutherford has stated that in the 16 years he has served in his positon there has never been an election for the HWD Board.
Josh Benson, a relative newcomer to the Heights as owner of Warden’s Legacy Casino, said that he wants to become more a part of the Heights. Benson said that he understands what a game changer the building of the Inner Belt Loop is going to be for Heights’ growth. “There is going to be a lot of development along that corridor . . . I worry that the Heights is not prepared to do what will be demanded of them.”
He said, “I learned that there has been development issues in the Heights, and I have thought, myself, why aren’t there more movie theaters and restaurants in the Heights?” He said that he has heard conversations in which people said the problem lies with the Heights Water District, so he hopes to understand the issues and help resolve problems by becoming a board member.
Ming Cabrera, who has been a Heights business owner for 40 years, said that he has the same concerns and hopes to “make things transparent” on the HWD board. He too pointed out that there is a tremendous opportunity coming to the Heights with a hundred million dollars of infrastructure being built with both the Inner Belt Loop and the Northend Bypass construction. He said because of his concerns about economic growth in the Heights, he help found, and is now chairman of, the Heights Business Association.
Cabrera said he has asked himself why there are only two grocery stores serving a community of 30,000 and “no real big box stores.” He said he has talked to many developers and contractors, “and nobody really understands why water costs are so high and fees so variable . . . I want to make sure all the connections are there . . . I want to promote open meetings . . . and better relations between the city and the county rather than the bickering we have had in the last four to six months.”
Laura Drager who is a Realtor at ReMax said that she has been a resident of the Heights since 1985 and is running for the board because she is “frustrated at how much the Heights has lagged behind the rest of the community in terms of growth and developme . . . I would like to bring affordable housing and economic development to the Heights and improve quality of life for the residents.”
Asked why she would be the best candidate to serve on the board, Dinsmore said, “I think I have a better understanding of the district and of the rates and everything we do.” She went on to say, “Our rates are cheaper than Lockwood and cheaper than Billings. It is cheaper for Main Street business and the residents.”
She pointed out, “We just invested more than $5 million in a new reservoir to meet that growth. We are prepared for that.” The Water District does not exist to promote economic development, Dinsmore explained. “We do not develop the Heights. We do not hold the keys to Main Street. We are here to provide affordable water.”
She went on to say, “There is a lot of misinformation out there, and a lot of people don’t have the facts. I know all sides of this, and I am the best candidate and that’s why I am running.”
Drager said that providing access to clean water is vital to a community, and she believes the Heights Water District has done “a good job up to this point, but I see some challenges coming. I am excited at the opportunities and growth that I think will come our way.” Having worked with construction companies and telecommunication companies, Drager said that her background and experience as a project manager in charge of material management involved with utility projects makes her well qualified.
Cabrera said that among his top three priorities for the district is bringing transparency to its operation. “There have been a lot of questions that no one answers . . . for 30 years there has been no input from the people.” Also, “Contractors are screaming about the cost to connect to Heights water; we need to look at that.”
Dinsmore talked about the need for a growth plan for the Heights. She pointed out that when the City of Billings did a growth plan, the Heights Water District was not invited to participate. Since the growth plan is due for review this year, “It’s a good time to start.”
Dinsmore pushed back on claims that the district’s costs are too high. She noted that the charge they make per square foot for annexation to the district was increased only ten cents in twenty years. She also said that any information, documents, maps, etc. that anyone wants they can get, and the board does not shut people out of their meetings.
“Let’s get the city lawsuit settled,” declared Drager, who said her top priorities are to attract new business to the Heights and to retain existing businesses. She said that Heights residents need shopping options rather than having to travel to the westend. She said she would like to see the district take advantage of a sustainable management workshop offered by the USDA specifically for rural water districts.
Responding to suggestions that the district could improve relations with the city, Dinsmore said, “I think you need to remember that the Heights Water District exists strictly because the city did not want to provide water to the Heights. They didn’t want to go beyond the rims in 1958.”
Josh Benson said that when it comes to encouraging development, the Heights simply doesn’t have a good reputation. He said, “I heard complaints over and over and over that pricing is inconsistent. That you don’t know what you are getting into until after the fact.”
Benson agreed that “transparency has been a huge issue with the current board. I have heard that city officials get kicked out of meetings, and they are holding meetings after the meeting. This is not a good way to govern. It is not healthy government. You have to adhere to state law. This is not good . . . not fair to anybody.” He said he wants to have “an open, honest culture in the Heights Water District.”
Drager suggested that it would be beneficial for the district to have a digital presence, and she would pursue developing such to disseminate information and announcing meetings and agendas. She noted that she has had trouble getting agendas.
Benson said he would record meetings and put them on line. The city does that and so do other entities, he said. Benson said he believes the district has become a “good ‘ol boys club,” and they are resistant to change and “for that reason there has been turbulence.” He said he would “create a culture that invites opinion and that listens to people outside the board.” There also should be “standardized protocols and monthly or quarterly check points to see if we are following state laws.”
The district also needs to do a rate study, he said.
“What can we do to keep things nice?” questioned Cabrera. He said, “I was kicked out in a December meeting. I couldn’t enter.” He also questioned why there was no March meeting. They said there was no quorum, said Cabrera, but “who sets forth whether there is a quorum?” “You should have gone to Zoom meetings,” during the COVID months, to encourage attendance, he further advised.
“We have two people on that board who are not here today. Where are they at?” Cabrera questioned, “I have invited them to come to a business association meeting and no one comes.”
One question was “What benefit have the rates been to Heights residents?”
Benson commented that he believes the trend has been to keep monthly rates as low as possible and to shift costs more to commercial development. Drager agreed with that conclusion.
