Northshore Utility District Employees Honored for Achievements
Northshore Utility District (NUD) honored several employees for their achievements in a promotional ceremony held on July 21, 2022. Brian Taylor, Christian Melton, Haakon Lande, and Ryan Helvey received recognition for their hard work, dedication, and completion of advancement training.
Brian Taylor was hired at NUD as a fleet mechanic in January 2022. In just six months, he managed to fulfil the requirements of the Senior Mechanic Advancement Assessment to advance to the position of Fleet Mechanic – Senior. This included passing all eight Automotive Service Excellence certification tests to achieve the Master Truck Technician Certification Level.
“One of the great things about hiring new people, is that they can bring a fresh perspective and new and different ways of accomplishing our mission,” said Fleet and Facilities Supervisor Steve Skylstad. “Brian has identified several opportunities for improvements, such as recommending tool purchases to improve productivity and expand our capabilities. He has also proven to be an expert mechanic, diagnosing and repairing several challenging vehicle related problems.”
Christian Melton, Senior Utility Worker, Haakon Lande, Acting Utility Lead, and Ryan Helvey, Senior Utility Worker, are the first to complete the challenging NUD Senior Development Program, which has taken multiple years of hard work and dedication to achieve. Melton was the first employee to complete the program.
“Our senior employees have positive attitudes when met with adversity, teach and mentor co-workers, and demonstrate professionalism when working with our customers,” said Maintenance and Operations Director Ethan Maiefski. “We are proud of our team at NUD and appreciate exemplary employees like these who personify NUD’s values of dedication, tenacity, and commitment to those we serve.”
Providing water and sewer services to more than 77,000 people in Kenmore Bothell, Lake Forest Park, Kirkland, and Woodinville, NUD’s mission is to provide necessary services to the community in a safe, reliable, economical, and ecologically responsible manner. For more information about Northshore Utility District, please visit www.nud.net.
Media Contact:
Amanda Campbell, Administrative Services Manager
Northshore Utility District
(425) 521-3728
acampbell@nud.net
Special Meeting Scheduled for July 12, 2022
A Special Meeting of the Board of Commissioners has been scheduled for Tuesday, July 12, 2022, from 2:00-4:00 p.m.
The purpose of the meeting: Long Term Water Supply Planning Presentation.
The next regular meeting of the Board of Commissioners is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Monday, July 18, 2022.
2022 Rate Notification
The decision to raise rates is an issue every responsible utility must face. Over the last four years, Northshore Utility District (NUD) has not raised water rates and only raised its sewer rates once. NUD will not be raising water rates for 2022. This is possible, to a large extent, because of NUD’s unique water supply contract with Seattle Public Utilities (SPU).
However, this is not the case for sewer. King County Wastewater Treatment Division raised its cost by 4%. This increase is being treated as pass-through cost to District customers. This decision was reached after conducting two open public hearings held on March 7, 2022, and March 21, 2022. The 2022 Rate Resolution was adopted and applied to all utility bills sent after March 15, 2022, regardless of when service is rendered.
Please read the 2022 Rate Notification Letter for more information.
Public Hearing March 21 to Discuss the 2022 Rate Resolution
Northshore Utility District’s Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing (second of two) during their regularly scheduled Board Meeting on Monday, March 21, 2022 at 5:30 p.m. The purpose of this hearing is to discuss the 2022 Rate Resolution.
Due to COVID-19 the Board of Commissioners meeting scheduled for Monday, March 21 will be conducted remotely and in-person. To participate in the meeting please see options below.
To join meeting by telephone, call 1 253-328-7749 and enter conference ID: 440297543#.
To join meeting by video conferencing, please contact Brenda Smith at bsmith@nud.net before 2:00 p.m. on March 21, 2022.
Public Hearing March 7 to Discuss the 2022 Rate Resolution
Northshore Utility District’s Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing during their regularly scheduled Board Meeting on Monday, March 7, 2022 at 5:30 p.m. The purpose of this hearing is to discuss the 2022 Rate Resolution.
Due to COVID-19 the Board of Commissioners meeting scheduled for Monday, March 7 will be conducted remotely and in-person. To participate in the meeting please see options below:
- To join the meeting by telephone, call 1 253-328-7749 and enter conference ID: 63578183#.
- To join the meeting by video conferencing, please contact Brenda Smith at bsmith@nud.net before 2:00 p.m. on March 7, 2022.
The Flow: 2022 Issue No. 1
Northshore Utility District's first newsletter for 2022 is out! In this edition, learn how NUD partners with other government agencies in the area, how you can help your neighbors through the Share A Drop Program, and what NUD is doing to help customers with past-due balances. Also in this edition, NUD remembers former General Manager Ron Gehrke. Watch for the newsletter in your mailbox, or check out this edition as well as past editions of the newsletter here. Thanks for reading!
Upcoming Savvy Gardener Classes
Tuesday, May 17, 6:00-7:30 pm
Knockout Gardens: Winning the War on Water Use with Great Plants and Techniques
With Marianne Binetti, author and Northwest horticultural expert
Get inspired to plant not just shrubs and perennials that will survive in our climate, but plants that make a knockout statement when grown together, smother weeds, and solve other landscape problems. Learn how to create stunning plant marriages, how to use short plants to support taller specimens to avoid stakes or ties, and how to use trees and large shrubs already in your landscape as focal points to create gardens with seasonal interest that will knock your socks off.
To register, call (206) 684-5955 or email mark.guthrie@seattle.gov.
This class is virtual. A link to the class will be sent out by email.
Tuesday, July 12, 6:00 to 7:30 pm
Less Work, Better Gardens the Natural Way
With Ladd Smith, co-owner of In Harmony Sustainable Landscapes
Come learn how you can become a more successful gardener and do it with less work. Your garden will be more beautiful, and you will have more joy in it when you learn how to work with Mother Nature. Building healthy soils, watering the right amount, and other natural yard care topics will be covered.
To register, call (206) 684-5955 or email mark.guthrie@seattle.gov.
This class is virtual. A link to the class will be sent out by email.
Kenmore Community Invited to Provide Input on How ARPA Funds Should Be Spent
The City of Kenmore is seeking input from community members on how to spend a portion of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. Using an online community engagement tool called Balancing Act Prioritize, participants are given a menu of 16 possible ARPA project ideas and are asked to select and rank their top choices while staying within an allotted budget. Input from this survey will help gauge community priorities before Kenmore City Council makes decisions about allocation of the funds later this year. Use the tool and share your feedback at https://kenmorewa.
NUD Adopts Payment Arrangement Initiative to Help with Past-Due Balances
As of 9/30/2021, suspension of utility shut offs and late charges were lifted per the Washington State Governor’s proclamation 20-23.16.
Northshore Utility District has adopted a payment arrangement initiative to assist customers with paying off their past-due balances. Customers with past-due balances, owing prior to November 1, 2021, will be put on a payment plan spread over a 1-year period (6 bi-monthly billing periods).
Payment plan arrangement amounts will display as a detail line-item charge on the bi-monthly billing statement. Unpaid current charges will be subject to late fees and/or service termination.
If an alternate payment arrangement is needed, please contact our offices immediately at 425-484-0338 or through email at ccap@nud.net.
Please visit our Assistance Programs page for additional payment assistance information.
Welcome New NUD Commissioner Suzanne Greathouse
Northshore Utility District (NUD) Board of Commissioners is pleased to announce appointment of Commissioner Suzanne Greathouse on August 16, 2021. Commissioner Greathouse is a dedicated community professional who brings a vast amount of knowledge and experience to support NUD’s continued ongoing mission to provide necessary services to the community in a safe, reliable, economical, and ecologically responsible manner.
CEO/Co-Founder of REPSVR, a virtual reality skills training platform, Suzanne Greathouse’s diverse experience includes being a business owner, educator/trainer, executive and consultant. She developed and led multi-cultural and virtual teams and managed complex business environments. She is an expert at applying industry best practices and emerging research to specific challenges, enabling and empowering success while improving performance, motivation, and job satisfaction.
She worked for AT&T for nearly 20 years and led efforts in Construction and Engineering, Research and Development, Emergency Preparedness/Disaster Recovery, Network Security, Network Operations, and IT Product Development/Support. In 2017, after a family tragedy, she decided to leave AT&T and focus on serving the community. She ran for City of Kenmore Council, served on Northshore Fire District’s Board and currently serves on the City of Kenmore Planning Commission, Northshore Senior Center Board, Kenmore Heritage Society Board, Bothell/Kenmore Chamber of Commerce, Kenmore Business Alliance, volunteers at Mary’s Place and EvergreenHealth Foundation Board (chairing the Alex Greathouse foundation for oral cancer research).
Commissioner Greathouse replaces NUD’s long time Commissioner, Don Ellis, who passed away unexpectedly on May 25, 2021. Northshore Utility District is governed by an elected Board of Commissioners who are focused on establishing policies that ensure high quality drinking water and sewer services. See the Board of Commissioners webpage for more information.