The Douglas County board on Tuesday went through nominees for a panel that will be tasked to come up a plan to secure future water for residents and businesses alike.  

No final decisions were made on who will sit on the 11-member commission, as commissioners are next likely to go through an interview process and winnow down the nominees.

As envisioned, the water commission, the brainchild of Commissioner Abe Laydon, would have three members from each of the county’s three districts, plus two at-large members intended to represent rural parts of the county.

There would also be nine “alternates” to the district members. 

Last week, Commissioner George Teal unveiled his recommendations – a list of eight names – including three for his district, three for the district of Commissioner Lora Thomas and two for the at-large seats. Five of his eight pics were major donors to Teal’s 2020 county commissioner campaign coffers.

On Tuesday, it was Thomas and Laydon’s turn to disclose their picks.

Thomas did not endorse any of Teal’s names for her district, which included Harold Smethills, the developer of Sterling Ranch; John Kim, a principal at Renewable Water Resources; and, David Simonson of the Highlands Ranch Metro District. The first two have been major contributors to Teal’s campaign.

Thomas picked Frank Johns of the Centennial Water & Sanitation District; Evan Ela, a water attorney with 40 years’ experience; and, William “Mickey” Conway, CEO of Metro Water Recovery, formerly the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, which represents 23 municipalities for wastewater management on the Front Range.

Thomas said Conway’s relationship with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment could be “useful.”

Laydon named Merlin Klotz and Donald Langley, both of whom serve on the Parker Water and Sanitation District; former Colorado Water Conservation Board director James Eklund, also a water attorney; and, James Meyers, whom Laydon said has 40 years of experience in water resources.

The county also got applications from Trisha Bernhardt, who previously served on the county’s rural water authority; Andrea Cole, a licensed engineer and general manager of the Dominion Water and Sanitation District; and, from Malcolm Bedell of Franktown.

Laydon voiced support for some of the nominees Teal put forward, including Sean Tonner, another RWR principal who had also contributed to Teal’s campaign, for an at-large seat, as well as for Smethills for Thomas’ district. 

While Tonner has lived in Castle Rock for some time, he also owns a working ranch, Teal said, adding it would make him a voice for rural and agricultural interests.

Thomas said that while Teal’s nominees for his own district “would not be my first choices … I will honor George’s ability to pick people for his district that he supports.”

The meeting wrapped up as Laydon asked for more time to look over the applications and the names proposed by Teal and Thomas in order, he said, to “get a better sense of what you both really prefer.”

But Laydon pointed out what could be a major problem – not one woman was proposed as a member of the commission, although there are several women applicants. That led Laydon to make another push for Bernhardt, who, in addition to her service on the rural water authority, has extensive experience in the National Environmental Policy Act, as well as a master’s degree in environmental policy management.