This week Sanitary District Candidates respond to The Times question: The Sanitary District treatment and delivery infrastructure is aging, in some cases components are about 40 years old. Are you satisfied with staff proposals to maintain and bring this infrastructure up to date?

Tony Finocchio - Prior to investment in infrastructure, it’s critical to understand the necessary improvements needed to handle growth on the state trust land.

My concern with investments, prior to understanding the impact of the developments, is that taxpayer funds will be allocated to systems that should and will be paid for, in part, by the ultimate developer.

Town leadership requested cooperation with the sanitary board to have a study done to determine what the infrastructure needs will be in the future. That meeting took place on March 28. It clearly shows from the minutes, the district was going to “just obtain” the cost of a study. It still has not been done.

Why invest in the systems until we know the facts? Why have the systems deteriorated to the point we are now looking at over $16 million of taxpayer funds for repairs and replacements?

The board needs change. My experience in finance will add value and accountability for the taxpayers. It’s important to understand which companies are getting the contracts and who is benefiting from these relationships. My role on the board will be to protect the tax payers and work with our town government. Fountain Park needs to be a priority. The board of the sanitary district and the town need to work together to fix the water issues.

We need new people that are respectful and honest. This is a time for new leadership and a new set of eyes. I will question the status quo. Not merely assume that what has been done in the past is best for our future.

As a former businessman and first responder, I am used to getting good results by working in tough situations. Elect me and I will be your eyes and ears on this important board.

Tom Reski - The FHSD is comprised of three major systems, collection, treatment and disposal that all must operate 365/24. Each system and its related sub processes cannot be allowed to be out of production mode for more than just a few hours. For this reason, the board, for which I have been a director for over 15 years, must hire the most skilled engineers and management to run these systems.

I am in the business of building and commissioning WWTP processes across the western US and I can say our district is in the top one percent of the best run facilities that I deal with. This is due to the preplanning of unit operations obsolescence and sound financial planning by the DM and board of directors.

Over the next 10 months we will reconstruct the district’s plant headworks. This project has been in design and now construction for over a year and is a vital and needed improvement to an aging component of our plant.

Over the next 10 years, additional improvements will be needed as the plant and sub-systems age. We have plans in place to replace aging processes with upgrades. Examples of this are the water disposal wells in the park. These wells are coming to end of their useful life on components and will have to be upgraded. The plan is to perform these well upgrades individually over the next three to five years.

I am very satisfied with the operations and maintenance of our FHSD plant both structurally and financially. Our new district manager has been instrumental in our plant process designs for over 10 years and she understands what must be done.

The district’s foresight in planning is why I believe it ranks as one of the best run treatment plants in Arizona.

Scott Sommer – I have spent a considerable amount of time reviewing public documents, meeting with Sanitary District staff, and speaking with the public regarding a myriad of topics, including this one.

Through this research I have found that there doesn’t appear to be a formal staff proposal in regards to maintenance and infrastructure updating. Most Districts of this size have a long range infrastructure upgrade plan in place.

Typically, the Board of Directors would work with the staff to put together such a plan. It appears, in this case, that the Sanitary District does not have a formal proposal or it is not available to the public.

With what I have learned in this time and during my visits to district facilities with the Leadership Academy and subsequent meetings, I am satisfied with historical maintenance and upgrades. It is true that some of the infrastructure is indeed aging. Needed equipment has been replaced or upgraded since the creation of the district in 1969. With growth on the horizon including development of the State Trust Land it is very important to make sure that the district is prepared to serve the needs of the community and maintain aging equipment.

It is vital to have a plan in place that balances reliability, sustainability and fiduciary responsibility. As a future board member my expectation will be to work with staff to formulate a long range plan for system upgrades and improvements. I also expect these plans to be brought before the public so that they understand how capital improvements impact the budget. I feel that this is a very important piece of transparency that is due to the rate payers. I will fight for this type of strategic planning and transparency when I earn your vote on Nov. 7.

Gregg Dudash - The Fountain Hills Sanitary District diligently addresses all needed upgrades to aging infrastructure. Every piece of equipment has a life expectancy and must eventually be replaced. There are costs associated with these necessary upgrades. Those costs must be balanced over the years to ensure that rates to our customers remain reasonable. That’s simply good planning.

As board directors, our primary responsibility is to provide reliable wastewater treatment on a 24/7/365 basis. We simply cannot allow the system to ever fail.

We plan for every contingency and budget for annual upgrades. Former District Manager Ron Huber built the District over the last 30 years. His replacement, Dana Trompke, inherited a very well-run operation. Every year, as part of the budgeting process, board directors and staff review a five-year budget forecast to effectively plan and prioritize infrastructure upgrades.

I am fortunate to have worked for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago for over 27 years. In that time, I learned what it takes to run an efficient sanitary district. I bring that experience to the table as a current board member.

One of the most valuable tools implemented in Chicago was a Maintenance Management System. It is a database that tracks every asset in the district, its life expectancy, location and cost. This tool can help assist in providing even more efficient planning for infrastructure equipment replacement.

I have been working with our district manager on employing this tool. I’m passionate about it because I saw its value. While implementation is in its early stages, I look forward to another term to provide my experience and insights to the development of this project. I believe that this will further improve the cost effectiveness of the District’s maintenance and infrastructure replacement activities. We are doing well yet always strive to do better.