Member Meeting – July 4, 2026 – recap
The Virginia Lakes Mutual Water Corporation held its annual member meeting at 2:00pm, July 4, 2026. It was a beautiful day in Virginia Lakes, and the meeting was held in a new location on water company property with lots of shade and a natural amphitheater setting. Forty-one members attended.
A major item of business was the retirement of Ross Oswald from the Board after 19 years of service. During the meeting, Ross was recognized with a plaque and a golden wrench in appreciation of his many years of dedication to the water system and the community. During Ross’s tenure, the solar pump station was built and most of the water system pipe infrastructure was replaced. Deep thanks go to Ross for his long service and steady work on behalf of the membership.
The membership also elected Steve Peters to the Board as Secretary and Brian Baber to the Board as Treasurer. Darlene Batatian has resigned from the Board, and we thank her for her service. Board member Chris Rinaldi will assume the new position of Compliance Officer as well as Vice President.
This marks a new phase for the Board as it moves forward without Ross’s day-to-day knowledge and experience. Hats off to President Eric Lindquist for his work documenting the many system particulars that had long lived in Ross’s head!
One item of interest in the meeting was a presentation by Eric about the Cross-Connection Control Policy Handbook (CCCPH), a new framework of a long existing water regulation. In his presentation, Eric clarified some details that are relevant to members and explained the questionnaire that was sent to members.
Following the official member meeting, the community time included a presentation about Firewise. Members are encouraged to visit the Links page to learn more. The Virginia Lakes Mutual Water Company does not have a position for or against the Firewise initiative.
Thank you to Cathy Barale for running the check-in table and providing snacks and drinks. Thank you also to all who attended. The excellent questions and discussion helped make the meeting even more productive.
