Letters: Vote for Lew Farris and Beth Thomas for SLV Water District
I serve on the SLV Water District Board, but I’m writing to our community as an individual Director and not on behalf, in part or whole, of the Board or District.
With the devastation caused by the CZU Lightning Complex and the heartbreaking loss of so many homes, we must support those who need it most—from community donations to the County streamlining the rebuilding process. We honor the heroic efforts of our volunteer fire fighters as well as other units and individuals supporting them, including our SLVWD staff who kept them in water. I believe this disaster must drive the SLVWD to redouble its efforts to harden our critical infrastructure.
Serving on the SLV Water District Board requires people who, through long service to and presence in our community, demonstrate that they understand critical District priorities: infrastructure improvements and operating efficiencies. Much improvement came as a result of the 2018 election, where an overwhelming majority of our community chose a new path of positive, constructive and action-oriented change. We have made huge strides: banning glyphosate, disposing of an expensive lawsuit, replacing a costly federal loan with a market-rate loan to get critical infrastructure into the ground faster and at lower cost, much more respectful engagement with the community and a focus on increasing District reserves—which will help in recovery from this disaster.
There is an election coming soon and much more work to be done. I ask for your support to see it through. I know Lew Farris and Beth Thomas well. I’ve worked with them, I trust them—and you can trust them—to build on these positive changes with no drama.
Lew currently serves on the SLVWD Board. He is a 30-year Felton resident who was Santa Cruz County’s Volunteer of the Year in 2018. Lew’s career was in the medical devices industry, where his manufacturing and quality control responsibilities included high capacity water purification systems. Lew served on the SLVWD Citizen’s Advisory Committee in 2014 and then more recently on the Engineering Committee before being appointed to the Board. Lew led the Board’s fire preparedness effort, starting with the Board sending it to the Environmental Committee in Aug 2019—just 3 months after Lew was appointed—which resulted in the March 2020 Board approval of a Fire Preparedness Comprehensive Assessment which will now serve as the roadmap for the District reconstruction activities.
Beth is a 40-year Ben Lomond resident, having spent 27 years as our Middle School librarian and then going on to be Director of Education and Training for the SEIU Mid-California local, responsible for jointly managing a $40 million budget. Beth serves on the Board of the Quaker Center and is a CASA volunteer, supporting the most vulnerable in our community. Beth also serves as chair of the SLVWD ad-hoc committee on facilities, working to ensure that our staff have good-quality and functional office space.
Please join me in voting for Lew Farris and Beth Thomas for SLVWD Directors. Vote 2 to Follow Through!
Thank you.
Bob Fultz, Boulder Creek
