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Mutual water company asks Fox Canyon GMA to clear missing meter calibration record tied to $28,000 account balance
Summary
Paul McDaniel, secretary of Strickland Mutual Water (128 connections), told the board a lost meter calibration record has prevented his small mutual from submitting extraction reports electronically and has left their account showing $28,000 owed; he asked the board to direct staff to resolve the records issue.
Paul McDaniel, secretary of the board for Strickland Mutual Water, addressed the Fox Canyon GMA board during public comment on Jan. 22 to request board direction to resolve a records problem tied to a repaired well meter.
McDaniel said Strickland Mutual Water is a small mutual water company serving about 128 connections in unincorporated Ventura County near Rio Mesa High School. He said a center‑turbine meter on well number 3 was sent for warranty repair after a plastic part broke; when the meter returned the mutual could not locate the calibration record and has been unable to upload electronic extraction reports.
"We need some help from the board to clear up a records problem," McDaniel said. He told the board he has turned in what paperwork he has but that the missing calibration record has caused the agency’s electronic record system to omit prior reported extractions and now reflects the mutual as owing about $28,000. McDaniel said a prior payment had sat uncashed by staff for nearly six months until the mutual complained.
McDaniel asked the board to "authorize and direct your staff to get this matter cleared up and give them a deadline because this has dragged on for six years now." He said he and agency staff, including Arne and others, had discussed possible resolutions but no staff member had been assigned to complete the follow‑up.
A board member responded during the public‑comment exchange, saying, "As your supervisor I'll follow‑up on that," and staff later confirmed they had reached out to McDaniel. Because this arose as public comment, the board did not engage in a substantive discussion on the record but noted staff follow‑up would be undertaken.
Context: McDaniel said Strickland Mutual Water operates on a volunteer board and sometimes lacks formal records; the missing calibration record is the basis of the mutual’s reporting and billing discrepancy. The mutual asked that the board give staff authority to resolve the records gap so the mutual can use the agency’s electronic reporting system and clear the account balance.
Next steps: Board members and staff indicated they would follow up with McDaniel to assign staff responsibility and work toward resolving the missing calibration record and the account status.
