Looking over floor plans: The East County Water Control District Board of Commissioners voted to lease half of a new building last week. Here looking over the floor plans are at left Paul Hinespeter, the assistant to Director David Lindsay, and Brenda Fallon, ECWCD’s comptroller. Photo by Mel Toadvine

The East County Water Control District (ECWCD) board of commissioners voted Oct. 18 to lease office space in the Pfuner building at 615 Williams Ave. and will begin moving in during mid November to the new office site. Staff members of the ECWCD first moved into rental trailers in 1999 and have paid around $86,000 in rent.

The vote to accept the least agreement was 3 to 1 with one member abstaining. The lone commissioner who voted against the plan to lease one half of the Pfuner building was Mike Welch. Commissioner Nate Stout abstained from voting, saying later that he has been associated professionally with the Pfuners.

Prior to the vote, David Deetscreek, a candidate for one of the seats on the board in the Nov. 2 general election asked board members to delay the decision-making until the new board is seated.

“I don’t see any harm in doing so, and it certainly will remove any misconceptions that this board is trying to beat the vote. Yes there is a risk that things may change. But if it does change, those involved will have to answer to it,” he said.

When the ECWCD commissioners meet for their regular monthly meeting on Nov. 15, they will gather in a meeting room a few hundred feet away from the Pfumer building at the miniature golf center. That meeting room will cost the ECWCD $50 and future plans could mean they meet there for some time.

Boardman honored: Outgoing member of the East County Water Control District John Boardman, second from left, is honored by his fellow board members at last week’s meeting. Boardman is shown being presented a book of memories of his career from Board Chairman Neal Horrom. At left is Commissioner Desmond Barrett, and at right is Commissioner Nate Stout. Photo by Paula Hinespeter

ECWCD officials said the meeting room can hold up to 100 people, much larger than the site in the trailers where an area for the public may only consist of around 20 chairs.

“We’re excited about the move,” said Paula Hinespeter, an assistant to the manager, David Lindsay, a few days after the meeting.

Included in the vote is an agreement to purchase the complete building which consists of 9,500 square feet. Currently the least agreement consists of about half that much, but still much more than the cramped quarters in the trailers. Some of the staff have had to meet in the adjoining outside shed because of the growth of the ECWCD over the years.

They used to meet in a very small block building on the site, not far from the trailers. It was condemned more than a decade ago and termed a “sick building” because of mold that infested the interior. ECWCD officials said the building will be torn down. It also once contained a section where hazardous chemicals were once stored.

The water control district can take over their new offices in the building on Nov. 1, but won’t have to pay rent of $3,000 a month until December 1. Employees of the ECWCD will move all equipment from the present trailer site. The trailers are costing around $1,700 a month.

In the future, it is envisioned that the site will become a retention pond and a new working shed will be built to replace the aging one on site.

The motion to accept the lease agreement also carried a sales purchase agreement which means that the ECWCD can begin due diligence, which gives the Pfuner family time to have the property replatted. There are also other buildings on the plat.

The ECWCD has been discussing moving into larger office quarters and building a new work shed and making improvements on infrastructure such as culverts and weirs for some time now.

The board wants to purchase the building and expand part of it for more offices and for a larger meeting room, which could also be rented out to other clubs and organizations in town.

A loan of $5.3 million is being sought from Fifth Second Bank, but the institution did not have a commitment letter at the last board meeting. Included in that letter will be the prevailing interest rate and terms of the lending. It could be negotiated if the new board feels the rates are too high, but they are expected to reflect the prevailing interest rate of the day of committal. The agreement is for a “draw note” of up to $5.7 million which means the commissioners would draw money from a fund when it is needed.

In his remarks before the board, as mentioned above, Deetscreek said that within a few weeks, the incoming board will be seated.

“Who knows what the election results will be on Nov. 2, but there will be turnover in one seat,” he said. Of two open seats, that includes the one Deetscreek is seeking, to unseat Neal Horrom, who has served on the board for more than a decade and is the current chairman of the board.

The District plans to repair or rebuild 23 culverts and six weirs that need to be maintained, officials there say.

Despite rumors in Lehigh and ongoing comments made on local media message electronic boards, the board did not vote to borrow $7 million.

At the meeting, John Boardman was given a book of treasures by Chairman Neal Horrom as Boardman is stepping down as a commissioner, a post he has held for 10 years. He first came on the board to replace Ben Bell, who moved away from Lehigh in 2005. The book contained photos and news clippings about his career.

The price of the Pfuner building has been negotiated down to $750,000. The ECWCD had considered in the past to build a new office complex which could have cost them $1.5 million.