The Board of Directors

Dale Walter
Mr. Walter is an accountant and the owner of a small accounting/consulting business. Mr. Walter was appointed to the Board of Directors in January of 2008. He currently serves on the Finance and Planning Committees.
John Jaksch
Mr. Jaksch owns a small cherry orchard in Kennewick. He has 30 plus years of professional experience in water quality and quantity issues pertaining to irrigated agricultural and urban water use. Mr. Jaksch recently retired from Battelle Memorial Institute. His educational background is in resource economics and finance. Mr Jaksch is the current President of the Board of Directors. He serves on the Realty, Operations and Engineering, and Planning Committees.
John Pringle
Mr. Pringle owns and farms several local cherry orchards. He is also a land developer. He has served in many capacities as a member of the Board of Directors since August of 1983. He is a past President and Vice-President of the Board. Mr. Pringle serves on the Finance and Planning Committees.
William C. (Bill) Kinsel
Dr. Kinsel is the senior member of the Board of Directors, having served since January, 1983. He is a Professor of Civil and Mechanical Engineering at Washington State University, Tri-Cities, and farms 150 acres that he owns near West Richland. Dr. Kinsel is a former President of the Board and currently serves as Vice President and on the Operations and Engineering, Realty, and Planning Committees.
Matthew Strong
Mr. Strong has over 23 years experience in project and business management. His large construction program experience includes numerous potable water utility and land irrigation distribution upgrades and new installations. He has worked closely with multiple irrigation companies, water utility firms and agencies regulating irrigation, water, electrical, and communication utilities. Mr. Strong has served on boards for a number of municipal-related and private entities, as well as for a cooperative electric association. He owns and operates Christmas tree ranches in north-central Washington. He works at the Umatilla Chemical Demilitarization Facility performing cost analysis. Mr. Strong was appointed to the Board of Directors in May of 2008.

The Kennewick Irrigation District is a non-profit, quasi-government organization that is governed by a five-member Board of Directors. Directors are elected by the district’s ratepayers to serve three-year terms. A copy of the KID ByLaws can be found here.

The Board is responsible to set KID policy. Each director also serves on one or more committees that focus on different areas of operation (see below for current assignments).

Regular board meetings are held the first and third Tuesdays of each month. Meetings are held at the KID business office at 12 West Kennewick Avenue, in downtown Kennewick. Meetings usually start at 9:00 AM and are open to the public.

An agenda is posted on the bulletin board in the district office lobby by 1 PM the Friday before each meeting. The public is usually allowed time to address the board during each meeting. If you wish to speak to a specific agenda item, please notify the district office before the meeting begins. No action can be taken on items not on the posted board agenda. The board meeting agenda is posted here.

The KID Board committees are as follows:

Operations and Engineering Committee: Current Operations and Engineering Committee members are Dr. William Kinsel and John Jaksch.

Realty Committee: This committee advises the KID’s Asset Management staff on negotiations and master planning. The committee meets only as needed. Current Realty Committee members are John Pringle and Dr. William Kinsel.

Planning Committee: This committee deals with water management: water rights, supply and distribution alternatives, salmon/in-stream flow requirements and irrigation group interactions. The committee also advises the board on district boundary, reclassification, hydraulic power and potable water issues. All five board members are also members of the Planning Committee.

Finance and Budget: This committee acts as the Budget/Assessment committee. It reviews the budget and advises in its preparation. It also periodically reviews district finances to ensure that budgets are followed. Current Finance and Budget Committee members are John Pringle and Dale Walter.

Minutes of previous board meetings are available here.

Serving on the Board

Any qualified district elector may run to serve a three-year term as one of the five members of the Kennewick Irrigation District Board of Directors. The terms are staggered so that in two of three years there are elections for two positions; in the third there is only one position up for election. In the next election (December 2007), Board positions one and four are up for election. In the year following (2008) Board position three will be contested. And finally, in the year after (2009), Board positions two and five will be elected.

General information about the KID can be found here.

The Board of Director Conflict of Interest Policy & Procedure can be found here.

The Board of Director Duties can be found here.

A slide show on additional Board of Director information can be found here.

Click here for a link to the KID Bylaws.

Click here for a link to RCW 42, Public Officers and Agencies.

Click here for a link to RCW 87, Irrigation Districts Generally.

For more information, contact the KID’s Customer Service department at 586-9111.